The car is a concept vehicle and a plug in hybrid vehicle. The car will run the first forty miles of its trip powered by onboard 16 - kWh lithium - ion batteries which can be charged from an electrical power outlet which gives power of 120 - 240 volt AC. The Chevrolet Volt can be charged from either a standard 120 volt outlet or a 240 volt outlet for charging. The Volt has an intelligent battery design which enables it to be fully charged in less than three hours if charged from the 240 volt outlet, and in about eight hours from a 120 volt outlet. Around 22 lithium - ion cells power the Volts electric unit with 150 horsepower and 273 lb - ft of instant torque. The car has no engine noise due it being electrical and with special sound reducing technologies; it is a very quiet car to drive.
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.
