2010 Chevy Volt | Concept Plug-In Hybrid Car

Chevy Wants a Plug-In Hybrid by 2010

In 2007, General Motors decided to take a leap of faith. The automotive industry isn’t really known for its dramatic leaps forward and willingness to lay it all on the line, but GM is doing just that as they throw resources at the 2010 Volt. GM is hoping to have a plug-in hybrid (which works opposite of the way current hybrids do – using electric power primarily and relying on gas to hold the battery’s charge) on the market by late 2010 or early 2011.

What will make the Volt different?
Hybrids currently cruising our roads, such as the Toyota Prius or Honda Civic, are hybrids because they use gas to power the drive train and electricity is used to increase the miles per gallon a driver can get. The Volt will depart from this formula in a big way. It will have an electric motor and the gas will serve as a way to keep the battery charged; gas won’t power the drive train and all and so the car will be “driving” on pure electricity.

GM’s plans for the Volt include:

• Being able to plug in and charge up from any standard outlet
• Running up to 40 miles on each charge
• In “generator mode” (gas-powered) the car will be able to run at around 50-miles per gallon
• Ability to reach a full charge in six to six and a half hours
• Check out all of the specs on this concept car here

Why is this considered such a big deal?
In an industry often chided for dragging its feet when it comes to saving the environment, GM has taken a stand to be the champion of the new electric car. Having failed once before in the 1990s with the EV-1, GM is taking a huge risk by promising an as-yet undeveloped car in just two years. GM needs to build the battery to power this revolutionary car. Between engineering and testing, this could constitute a lengthy and expensive process – and the possibility then exists that GM may not follow through on its promise.

In addition to the science of it all, there’s the publicity. GM’s name hasn’t been inspiring trust and building confidence in the past decade. They’ve been slow to respond to a changing market and suffered through expensive strikes and internal problems. If this special project succeeds, it may be their ticket out of the hole they dug themselves. If it fails, well, at least they would have inspired their competitors to go out and build us a plug-in hybrid.

The Chevrolet Volt is generating a tremendous amount of press. Try this link to follow all the Volt news, see additional pictures, read updates on the Volt’s price (recently bumped to $40,000), and eventually find the release date and availability data.

07/27/2010 Update: GM announced today that the Chevrolet Volt will be priced at $41,000 and will go on sale in November, 2010. For those who would rather lease a Volt, a $350 monthly lease (with $2,500 down) is an option. The Volt will be eligible for the federal tax credit on electric vehicles, which is $7,500 - making the final price closer to $33,500.

The Volt will initially be released in California, followed by New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Michigan and Texas. 12 to 18 months later, nearly all of the 600 Chevy dealers nationwide should be selling the Volt.