General Motors' Chevrolet brand, a major sponsor of SXSW, came to town this week to showcase its newest fleet and automotive technology. Chris Perry, vice president of marketing with GM, said Austin is a hotbed of technology and innovation, which made it the perfect market—and atmosphere—to continue promoting GM's new products at the festival.

How does promoting the Chevy brand in Austin compare to promoting it at an auto show or in any other city?

Perry: "The crowd is completely different. [SXSW] is just where everyone comes. The auto show is much more for the car enthusiast, and the press there are all auto press, and they know what their relationship is with us and it's all very product focused. Here, it's completely different. The audience is much more youthful and interested in a different industry. They're not covering the car industry, but they're covering the technology and interactive industries. It allows us to expose our brand to a whole different set of people who normally interact with us."

What should Austin know about Chevy?

Perry: "I think what's interesting for people is when they get a chance to interact, like with the Volt, for instance. There's some pretty great technology that's involved in that vehicle, and it's exciting when you get a chance to drive it. I know that's biased, but it's a unique offering in the market place. You have that extended range of technology, and to drive it doesn't really feel like you have to compromise anything. Most people are shocked by that. It drives and handles and performs just like any other car, and just a little bit better. Exposing that technology to people—it changes their perception of Chevrolet."

We have a City Council member—Mike Martinez—who drives a Volt, and he raves about it.

Perry: "The average owner goes about 900 miles between fill-ups. We have quite a few that go two months before filling up again. Jay Leno will even brag that he's driven 10,000 miles and has only used three gallons of gas."

Do you think there's anything about Austin that appeals to the Volt?

Perry: "Absolutely. When we launched the car, we went to seven markets around the country, and Austin was one of them. It is a hotbed for technology, and people appreciate that and want to experience it. Your councilman's experience is pretty common."