On Monday (November 1) the Chevy Volt 12-city Unplugged Tour will roll into Raleigh’s City Plaza. From 8:30am to 10:00am residents will get the chance to ride and drive the Volt, the world’s first electric vehicle with extended-range capability. In order to test drive, one must be at least 21 years of age and have a valid driver’s license.

On a fully charged battery and tank of gas, the Volt has a driving range of hundreds of miles. Because the Volt can use gas to create its own electricity in extended-range mode, long trips are possible. However, the Volt is primarily powered from electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery which is typically offers a range of 25 to 50 miles (depending on terrain, driving technique, temperature and battery age). When the Volt’s battery runs low, a gas engine-generator seamlessly engages to extend the driving range.

Note: Drives are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

(What I’d like to know is why Raleigh only gets this tour for 1.5hrs when other cities on the tour get at least a half day. The following city on the tour is New York, but their event doesn’t begin until the 5th. Perhaps the tour has some private engagements during the week in a city that lies between Raleigh and New York?? While I’m glad we got a tour date, likely buyers of this car in this market, who are not real estate agents, are extremely unlikely to be able to get away from work first-thing Monday morning.)