Ow…darn it, that hurt. I've been sitting on this Chevy Volt story for months now and I'm quite happy to be standing up and handing it over to the public. In an effort to create a substantial amount of buzz, and also to educate journalists, GM has been giving folks in the media a lot of information about this new car. They just wouldn't let us talk about it…until today.

The Chevrolet Volt is technically a hybrid vehicle, as it has both a gasoline and an electric engine. However, the gas engine is never actually used to move the car. Eh? What does it do then?

Well, the Volt is propelled entirely by its electric engine, but the batteries can be charged in two ways: First, by plugging them in to the wall at your house and second, by an extremely efficient, inexpensive, onboard gasoline generator.

On a full charge, the vehicle will run for about 40 miles without a drop of gasoline. This is an extremely significant number, as very few drivers in America actually travel more than 40 miles per day. After the first 40 miles, the gas generator kicks on and begins to recharge the batteries. From this point on, the car gets a respectable 50 to 60 miles per gallon.

The release date of the Volt hasn't been announced yet, but some are saying we could see this innovative car in showrooms by 2010.

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This week, Hank Green is reporting for Plenty from the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. His trip was underwritten by the General Motors Company, but he is under no obligation to write about GM or any of their products or portray them in any particular light. But, really, he thinks the Volt is a very cool idea.

Posted by Alisa Opar on Jan 8, 2007 at 12:17 PM
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