From my blog:
General Motors has announced their intention to get the Chevy Volt hybrid concept car into production and onto showroom floors by 2010. This car has the potential to revitalize the domestic auto industry and could be the first real step to weaning us off of fossil fuels.
The Volt will come with a bank of lithium-ion batteries that will power the car for approximately 40 miles on electricity alone. It gets that power initially from a six to seven hour charge courtesy of a standard 110 wall socket you most likely already have in your garage.
<more after the jump>
Unlike other hybrids, the fossil fuel burning component is merely a generator that keeps the electric motor running. Current hybrids like the Toyota Prius still rely on a fossil fuel engine to move the car, with the electric motor only supplementing the work of the gasoline powered engine. The Volt's motor is the equivalent to a 160hp vehicle, and has adequate acceleration for highway driving.
Research conducted by GM shows that most commuters who drive to work travel forty miles or less roundtrip, which means many Volt owners may only have to fill up in those rare times they are visiting family or making a special trip. The Volt will get approximately 50 miles per gallon after the batteries are exhausted, although it will achieve 150 mpg between 40 and 60 miles. In looking at my own travel habits, I'd probably only fill up once a month vs. every week now. I'm sure the hardware hackers out there will have solar charging kits available once they get their hands on the car.
The Volt's design is modular, so at some point consumers will have the choice of flex-fuel, diesel, fuel cells, and other technologies to power the electrical generating portion of the car in the future. This is a slam dunk for GM, as they could offer special configurations based on what fuel technologies are most affordable in a particular market.
GM's first attempt to produce an electric car failed because the car did not have a viable solution for drivers once the batteries died. Now that GM has an electric vehicle that can run indefinitely as long as the tank is filled they are sure to have a real winner on their hands. Sign me up!