Note: For more from Alexandra, visit the "Ask Alexandra" tab on the Chevrolet Volt Facebook page.

The Volt is a classy sedan which looks right at home on the streets of Beverly Hills. But does it fit the lifestyle of the driver who wants to go for a surf or race a triathlon? Is there room for a board or a bike?

My friend Colby borrowed my Volt last weekend to see if a test drive would encourage his parents to purchase. His mom has leased the Mini E for the past year, but his dad drives a SUV, so the Volt had to be able to  take Dr. Trudeau (photo, at left) surfing. They were able to fit his 9 ft. board in the car and close the back by putting down the backseats and the passenger seat.

My husband Ian, a triathlon coach and an avid cyclist, needs to be able to bring several bikes at a time to races and rides. Although you can fit one bike comfortably inside the Volt with the back seats down, two bikes are not feasible, unless you don’t mind stacking them on top of each other. My friend Darell feels that the lip of the trunk is unnecessarily high and the opening of the hatchback needs to be wider for easier loading. I tend to agree, although we both love the look of the Volt and sometimes design takes precedence over practicality.

Since it is too new a vehicle model, there is currently no rack made specifically for the Volt, neither for the roof nor for the hatchback door, so we are getting a trailer hitch rack made.  A custom one is required due to the low placement of the center rear light, and we will still need to carve out some of the rear bumper to allow the hitch to come from under the vehicle.  We are hoping for an access point that is hidden behind the license plate. Note: the Volt cannot tow, the trailer hitch rack simply holds bicycles.

Adding a rack will increase drag and reduce mileage, but being able to attach one makes the Volt more attractive to a larger number of drivers, and to the Trudeau family, I hope.

Alexandra Paul is a longtime electric vehicle advocate, actress and former EV1 driver. She is working with Chevrolet to educate consumers about EVs and the Volt. Full disclosure, Chevrolet is paying her for her time, but her opinions will always be hers.

As more plug-in electric vehicles hit the streets (there have already been about a thousand Chevy Volts sold), an obvious question continues to emerge – where do they charge? Without a doubt, the number one place to plug-in is at home. Most everybody agrees this makes the most sense since for several obvious reasons and that precious infrastructure resources should be used to help make this happen first. The next smart option is work place charging. Even though most of us can complete our daily driving on one full charge from home, some may have longer daily commutes that are just beyond their battery’s range. Charging while parked at work will allow them to complete their commute on battery power only, without using gas.

While many business can understand the mutual benefits of providing employees with a place to plug in, getting them to actually make the investment isn’t as easy. One recent exception is Minnesota based 3M. They get it. Last month, 3M unveiled a new charging station at their Maplewood headquarters, becoming one of the first Minnesota based companies to have its own charging station for employees and visitors.

The 3M station is part of the ChargePoint Network, which means EV drivers can find the station using a mobile app or on the Internet. Another important benefit to 3M’s new workplace charging station is that employees who want an EV but live in an apartment or multi-dwelling unit without access to a plug can now fully recharge at work. For these drivers, workplace charging is their “garage.”

Bill Wallace, director of GM's global battery systems engineering team, participated in a panel at the Midwest Energy Forum at the University of Chicago on Thursday March 3 to discuss the challenges of moving battery technology from the lab to the road. Wallace was joined on the panel by representatives from LG Chem, Envia Systems and Argonne National Labs. The panel was moderated by Jim Greenberger, executive director of NAATBatt. Click here to check out the audio from the event.