PORT MELBOURNE, VICTORIA – Holden’s long range electric vehicle, the Volt, has joined the fleet of Australia’s telecommunications company Telstra.

Telstra took possession of the electric vehicle, the first of four to join its fleet, during a handover ceremony at Holden’s Volt Charging Station in Fishermans Bend, Victoria.

It marks the first time that an electric car has been used by Telstra as a company vehicle, according to Holden.

Winner of the Green Innovation Award in the 2012 Drive Car of the Year Awards, the Holden Volt is the first car of its kind to go on sale in Australia, according to the company. It features range extension technology that offers an electric range of up to 87 kilometers that can be extended to a total range of over 600 kilometers through an on-board petrol generator that maintains the charge in the battery.

National Manager of Telstra Fleet Brendan Stooke said Telstra was keen to add the Volt to its fleet to give the organization a greater understanding of electric car usage and performance.

“We believe electric vehicles will be an important part of our ongoing strategy to improve the fuel efficiency and environmental footprint of the Telstra fleet,” said Stooke. “We already run a number of fuel efficient and alternative fuel vehicles on the fleet, but this will be Telstra’s first experience with electric cars and we look forward to using the technology to great effect. The Volts will be used as general fleet vehicles and we’re confident there will be plenty of interest in them from Telstra’s employees. Importantly, we will also be able to assess how practical electric cars can be for daily use.”

Holden Director – National Fleet George Loukas said there had been strong interest in Volt from large fleets such as Telstra and smaller businesses.

“We’ve hosted a number of events around the country to showcase Volt’s unique technology to fleet operators and buyers. Volt has sparked plenty of interest as its long range capability means electric cars are no longer restricted in range, a critical factor for many fleets,” Loukas said. “Some fleets see Volt as a great hero vehicle and it certainly looks great with a livery, like the Telstra design. Other fleets have more interest in developing an understanding of how they might use electric cars in the future, what kind of infrastructure they need to implement and how Volt might help them to meet their carbon reduction targets.”

The vehicles also feature decals made using environmentally-friendly latex inks and vinyl, a more sustainable alternative to traditional self-adhesive polyvinyl chloride films.