Chevy Volt: the plug-in hybrid car concept

Chevy wants a plug-in hybrid for 2010

In 2007, General Motors decided to take a leap of faith. The auto industry isn’t really known for its dramatic advancements and willingness to risk it all, but GM is doing just that while throwing resources into the 2010 Volt. GM hopes to have a plug-in hybrid (which works the opposite way to the way they do. current hybrids, primarily using electrical power and relying on gas to maintain battery charge) on the market in late 2010 or early 2011.

What will make the Volt different?

The hybrids on our roads today, like the Toyota Prius or Honda Civic, are hybrids because they use gasoline to power the drivetrain 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 drivetrain and all, so the car will be “driving” on pure electricity.

GM’s plans for the Volt include:

• Power to plug in and charge from any standard outlet
• Running up to 40 miles on every charge
• In “generator mode” (gasoline), the car will be able to run at about 50 miles per gallon.
• Ability to reach a full charge in six to six and a half hours
• Check all the specifications of this concept car here.

Why is this considered so important?

In an industry often criticized for delaying when it comes to saving the environment, GM has set out 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 a still undeveloped car in just two years. GM needs to build the battery to power this revolutionary car. Between engineering and testing, this could be a long and expensive process, and then there is a chance that GM will not deliver on its promise.

In addition to the science of all this, there is advertising. The GM name has neither inspired confidence nor built confidence in the last decade. They have been slow to respond to a changing market and have suffered costly strikes and internal problems. If this special project is successful, it may be their ticket out of the hole they dug themselves. If it fails, well, they would at least 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, view additional images, read updates on the price of the Volt (recently raised to $ 40,000), and finally find the release date and availability data.

The Volt will initially launch in California, followed by New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington DC, Michigan and Texas. 12 to 18 months later, nearly all 600 Chevy dealerships nationwide should be selling the Hybrid Auto, The Volt.