The Chevrolet Volt Joins The Norfolk Fire Service

LUTON, UNITED KINGDOM - April 8, 2013: Norfolk Fire Service has just become the proud new owner of a Chevrolet Volt as part of its initiative to reduce its own environmental impact.

The multi award winning vehicle was handed over at Cambridge Chevrolet which has been selling the Chevrolet Volt since its launch last year. In addition to the Volt, Cambridge Chevrolet also sell the full range of Chevrolets from the Spark all the way to Camaro and Corvette.

The E-REV technology in the Volt, which won European Car of the Year 2012 amongst other awards, makes it the perfect option for the Norfolk Fire Service as it completely eliminates range anxiety. As an alternative-fuel solution it stands out from the crowd because its wheels are powered by electricity at all times. The advanced 150PS electric drive unit is supported by a small 1.4-litre petrol-fuelled generator which seamlessly continues to power the battery, and can keep the driver going further for over 300 miles.

This was a big selling point for Norfolk Fire Service as it currently leads the national fire and rescue service work on climate change and environmental protection. It has also taken a stand to limit its own impact on the environment by reducing emissions.

Over the last two years, Norfolk County Council and Norfolk Property Services have provided substantial investments in our 41 fire stations, including better insulation and building management systems and solar panels. With the help of these new updates, combined with an increase in staff awareness and changes they have so far reduced carbon emissions by 37%, and business miles by 25%.

Chief Fire Officer, Nigel Williams said, “When looking forward for new ways to continue to decrease emissions the Volt came through our trials process with flying colours as the best next move we could make in terms of our fleet of emergency response cars. It has the carrying capacity and handling/performance characteristics we need for blue-light response, combined with energy bills that are a scale change from our current conventional vehicles, especially combined with our solar panels which will provide much of the electrical charging for the Volt.” Williams later added, “The Volt is around 75% more efficient on emissions compared to our current benchmark and will more than double and possibly triple the mpg – making it a great step towards pushing our own targets for reducing our environmental impact.”

Luke Gordon, Franchise Manager Chevrolet Cambridge, said, "The Volt is a fantastic car, I'm confident they will be impressed with its design, reliability and economy, I think it's a great match for them."