GM and CATARC will form a joint working team that will be responsible for gathering feedback from Chevrolet Volt demonstration fleet usage to better target discussions and actions to support new energy vehicle policy in China.

According to the MOU, both GM and CATARC will also study how real-world performance, charging and infrastructure for the Chevrolet Volt and other electric vehicles can address the varying needs of Chinese consumers.

To support the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, GM has recently installed charging poles at Tsinghua University, the office of SAE China, a Chevrolet dealership in Beijing as well as GM’s China headquarters in Shanghai. The company plans to install charging facilities at CATARC’s Tianjin headquarters as well.

China is among the initial markets to introduce the Volt following the United States. As the world’s first extended-range electric vehicle, the Volt is the only electric vehicle that can operate under a full range of climates and driving conditions without limitations or concern about being stranded by a depleted battery.

CATARC is the most important third-party automotive technology service organization recognized by the Chinese government. It is playing a critical role in the development of new energy vehicles.

The demonstration fleet vehicles will be delivered to CATARC during April.

The Chevrolet Volt is appearing on the GM stand throughout the three-day event, which is expected to attract up to 70,000 visitors from industry, academia, government and media.  In addition, GM is planning to demonstrate the Volt in Japan.

“This is a great opportunity for General Motors to highlight our advanced technology leadership in front of the tech-savvy community in Japan,” said GM Japan Managing Director Sumito Ishii. “It will also contribute to awareness of the Chevrolet brand in one of the world’s largest vehicle markets.”

The Volt is the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle with extended range and the world’s only electric vehicle that can operate in all climates without limitations or concern about being stranded by a depleted battery. It operates on electric power full time and full speed through two modes: all electric and extended range. The Volt provides up to 80 kilometers of gas- and emission-free driving using electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Its range-extending engine generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range another 490 kilometers.

The first Chevy Volts will be sold in California, Washington, D.C., Austin, Texas and the New York City metropolitan area later this year. The Chevrolet Volt should be available in all 50 states 12 to 18 months after its initial launch, the company said.

GM has told Chevrolet dealers that they are all required to certain guidelines in order to sell the Volt.

Before receiving Volts for retail sales, dealers will be required to complete specialized sales and service training, and install 240-volt charging stations at their dealership.

The price has yet to be decided.

At the same time, they emphasized that development of the Chevy Volt has met all the milestone deadlines on its development timeline. They said the car will arrive in dealerships as planned at the end of this year.

Recent calibration drives of pre-production Chevrolet Volt extended range electric vehicles have achieved up to 39.9 miles of emission-free, electric-only driving range, chief engineer Andrew Farah said during a program update for news media.

GM is no longer claiming the Volt will get 230 mpg. Farah admitted that number was based on ongoing negotiations with the EPA over how to rate the fuel efficiency of plug-in (or “range extended”) hybrids such as the Volt.

Now the company says it is targeting 50 mpg, and a remaining range of 300 miles on gasoline once the Volt’s batteries are depleted. Farah said engineers are getting very close to that mileage in testing. But the company is still closely guarding the capacity of the Volt’s gas tank.

The Volt, which can travel up to 300 miles beyond its pure electric range because of a small on board gasoline engine, recently completed a round of cold weather testing in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada, and will undergo additional hot weather testing in Yuma, AZ, in June and July.

The Volt remains on schedule for start of regular production in the fourth quarter. Farah, chief engineer for the Volt and the Opel Ampera, said more than 500,000 test miles have already been put on the pre-production Volt vehicles.

Farah said engineers at GM’s Warren, Mich., Technical Center will begin building pre-production versions of the Ampera later this month in preparation for its launch in Europe for the 2012 model year.

Monday’s update followed the announcement that GM plans to invest an additional $8 million to double the size of its automotive battery lab in Warren.

Micky Bly, GM’s executive director of global electrical systems, hybrids, electric vehicles & batteries said more than 300 pre-production packs were slated to be built at GM’s Brownstown, Mich., battery plant.

So far, more than 850,000 miles of customer use lab testing have been completed on the battery pack design for the Volt and Ampera.  Bly said the team continues to study additional applications of the Voltec battery-based propulsion system in future vehicles, although no details were provided.

The nation’s capital joins California and Michigan as the initial retail markets where Chevrolet will sell the Volt. The Volt is expected to go on sale in November, and GM expects to sell about 10,000 to 11,000 Volts in the first year of production. The automaker expects to sell 50,000 to 60,000 annually afterward.

Chevrolet also announced a development and demonstration program with D.C.-area utilities Pepco and Dominion to introduce customers to electric vehicles and establish vehicle charging programs.

Chevrolet will deliver more than 100 Chevy Volts to several utilities across the U.S. – including Pepco and Dominion, which serve Washington D.C. and its suburbs – as part of an extended demonstration program. The overall program includes 500 charging stations that will be installed for residential, business and public use. They will be used to learn more about the installation process, vehicle charging and to gauge customer feedback.

The automaker will deliver more than 100 Volts to several utilities across the U.S. — including Pepco and Dominion — as part of an extended demonstration program. The overall program includes 500 charging stations, which will be installed for residential, business and public use.

“The Chevrolet Volt demonstrates our commitment to the electrification of the automobile,” said Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman, Global Product Operations. “So far, we have invested more than $700 million in the U.S. to reinforce our leadership in this new technology.”

Chevrolet also announced a development and demonstration program with D.C.-area utilities Pepco and Dominion to introduce customers to electric vehicles and establish vehicle charging programs.

“Concentrating Volt sales in these three key initial markets allows us to give our first customers a high-quality experience,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet general manager. “In addition to geographical considerations, each market also has progressive local and state government leaders and utility partners who are crucial in bringing electric vehicles to market.”

GM is conducting the program with a $30.5 million grant it received as part of the federal stimulus program in August. The Energy Department handed out $2.4 billion in grants to help speed electric vehicle and battery production. GM has already logged more than 250,000 miles on its pre-production Volt vehicles. GM has done hot-weather testing in Death Valley, cold-weather testing in northern Canada; and mountain testing at Pike’s Peak.

The Chevrolet Volt is an electric vehicle with extended-range capability. It is designed to drive up to 40 miles on electricity without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the Volt’s lithium-ion battery is depleted, an engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range if there is no access to an electrical outlet to recharge the battery, providing peace of mind by eliminating range anxiety. Volt production begins later this year, and pricing has not been announced.