I Want One!

General Motors new Chevrolet Volt

The new Chevrolet Volt Concept is powered by GM’s new E-flex hybrid system. The plug-in four-seater has a brace of lithium-ion cells that can be fully charged in six hours using a standard 110-volt outlet, giving the Volt a range of 40 city miles.

When the batteries are depleted, it then employs its turbocharged, 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine to replenish the cells, theoretically giving the Volt up to 150 miles-per-gallon. According to GM’s car czar Bob Lutz, “More than half of all Americans live within 20 miles of where they work (40 miles round trip). In that case, you might never burn a drop of gas during the life of the car.” Like seemingly every new GM car these days, the Volt’s tri-banger is also amiable to running on E85, giving it even greater credibility among the environmentalists.

So… when can we expect production? Not so fast, Sparky. Production hopes for the Volt (or something like it) depend on the ability to economically mass-produce the car’s almost 400-pound lithium-ion battery. Such cells aren’t likely to be production-ready until 2010-to-2012.