General Motors EN-V to be branded Chevrolet

Chevrolet was gifted a centennial birthday present today, with parent company GM announcing that its 2030 Vision concept would carry the bow-tie badge. The youthful orientation and entry level positioning of Chevrolet within the GM portfolio subtly earmarks the intended audience for the EN-V, with the device being billed as an inexpensive and attainable urban mobility vehicle.

"The EN-V has the potential to reinvent transportation in key markets by creating a new vehicle DNA through the convergence of electrification and connectivity," said Chris Borroni-Bird, GM's director of Advanced Technology Vehicle Concepts. "It provides an ideal solution for petroleum- and emission-free urban transportation that is free from congestion and crashes, and more fun and fashionable than ever before."

Chevrolet predicts that by 2030, 60 percent of the world's eight billion people will live in urban areas. With urban mobility becoming the latest buzzword and manufacturers from Audi through Opel presenting variations of personal transportation devices, Chevrolet and GM are pushing ahead with the EN-V concept vehicle testing.

"The Chevrolet EN-V represents a possible solution for global customers living in markets where alternative transportation solutions are needed," claims Chris Perry, vice president, global Chevrolet marketing and strategy. "For 100 years, the Chevrolet brand has been focused on making advanced technology that improves customers' lives accessible and affordable, and the Chevrolet EN-V will continue that tradition," Perry added.

The two-seat, all electric, urban mobility concept launched at the 2010 Shanghai motor show utilizes a lithium-ion battery drivetrain, allowing the device to travel up to 40km on a single charge. The EN-V's autonomous aspect is said to open up personal mobility to those unable to operate a vehicle and offering business commuters to communicate hands free. As a result of these potential abilities, the EN-V will be partaking in pilot demonstrations in the world's megacities to determine its real-world attributes.

By John O'Brien