• by Karl Greenberg , April 17, 2012

Chevrolet last week launched a program on the influencer-ranking network Klout. The program offers influencers in technology, social media and environmental topics a three-day loan of the 2012 Chevrolet Volt.  

In this third partnership with Klout, Chevrolet is targeting six markets nationwide, with Klout influencers required to have a Klout score of 50 or better in social media, technology or the environment and live within a 30-mile radius of the markets.  

The effort is in Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle from April through June and Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland from July through September, per Chevrolet. 

Last September, Chevy did a test program for Volt on Klout involving the loan of four Volts to 20 Chicago social media influencers. In November, the automaker used Klout to  promote the Chevrolet Sonic compact car in five cities with 130 consumer loans in five weeks. Chevrolet says it got 16,000 positive consumer mentions on social media; user-generated videos; three requests to take advantage of a special discount and one confirmed purchase.

For anyone who's been following the Volt contretemps the electric vehicle has become something of a lightening rod for the right (no pun intended), who have used the car to disparage the Obama Administration for funding a boondoggle. Most people in the auto industry don't see it that way, as the car is a pretty amazing feat of engineering. Chevrolet is positioning the vehicle with as an electric car with gas when you need it. 

How is it selling? While General Motors said it sold a record 100,000 vehicles that get at least 30 mpg last year it missed its 10,000-unit Volt sales goal for 2011. The company set a 45,000-unit goal for 2012, but only sold1,626 of the cars in the first two months this year. The company has production cuts planned to lighten vehicle inventory.