The carmaker has been running a set of left hand drive test cars since December, but is receiving its first Australian market right hand drive Volts this week. These will be driven by Holden employees for 12 weeks, feeding information back to the launch team and sharing their experiences on social networks.

Holden’s director of energy and environment, Richard Marshall, explained: ‘Ordinarily the vehicle development process is shrouded in secrecy but with Volt we’re taking a different approach and encouraging the Volt evaluation drivers to talk about their cars with friends, families and online contacts.’

Working with the Victorian Government, recharging data will also be fed back to the electric vehicle trial. The trial begins as part of Holden’s Energy and Environment week, a four-day promotional programme at five sites across Australia, to promote environmentally-friendly initiatives.

‘While electric cars have been a dream for decades, they are now a reality and cars like the new Holden Volt put electric driving within the reach of everyday drivers,’ said Marshall. ‘By getting involved in the Victorian Electric Vehicle Trial we hope to develop a better understanding of how people drive and recharge vehicles in Australia.’