GM unveils production version of plug-in hybrid, the Chevy Volt

40-mile range? What happened to GM's (Saturn) EV1 which had a range of 110 miles and with the new batteries (which an oil company bought) an estimated range of over 300 miles? Although 80 cents per day sounds good, I still don't know what it will be if I turn on the A/C. At $30K+, I'm not going to save any money until the gas engine breaks down, which seems the problem with the automotive industry...after sale parts and materials. Once again I'm trodding off to the dealer for engine filters, fluids, belts, etc, where the auto industry makes their money. As I see it now, no, I'll just stick with my 40-MPG motorcycle and 30-MPG car both of which are paid for. Perhaps by 2014, they'll be something used that's under $20K.

lOVE THE COCEPT, DISLIKE THE LOOKS. DROP THE COBOLT/MALABU LOOK AND GO FOR THE FUTURE. YOUTH WANTS NEW NOT MY FATHERS CAR. PUT POWER PLANT ON A SOLTIC 2 SEATER AND MAKE DRIVING FUN AGAIN. WITH THIS LOOK YOU WILL BE LOOKING AT YOUR COMPETITIONS REAR END ALL TO SOON. YOU MAYBE FIRST TO THE MARKET BUT YOU WILL NOT STAY UPFRONT LONG. COLORFULL IPODS-SLEEK LAPTOPS-HIP-GO FOR IT CHEVY-WHERE HAS THE T-BIRD, CADALAC, GTO GONE IN THIS GENERATION?

If you don't ever plug it in, what's the fuel economy?

I want to save money, not give it away. Mid to high 30's , that is crazy. If GM thinks they are going to cut a fat hog selling a car for over 30 grand in this lousy republican economy then they just might find out different. I could see paying maybe close to 30 g's if it went 100 miles on a charge but 40 probably means 30 in GM speak.

2011? We'll all be driving new Asian hybrids before GM even comes to market.

I really wanted a Chevy Volt when I first saw the edgy concept model, but now that the truth has been revealed on how it will look, I'll pass on this bland grampa car !

I dive 80 miles a day backand forth to work. How is an electric car going to help me to get home from work at 2 A.M? Who is this car designed for, Retired people who don't need to get to work?

Definitely newsworthy.

The reason for the high price tag is the battery. It is much more expensive that the traditional car battery or hybrid battery but all the major car companies agree this is the future of the automobile.

U.S. automobiles have made major strides in the last fifteen years and they are working at changing the perception of the consumer. The quality is now there.

I don't know too many people these days that drive under 40 miles per day. To me this makes no sense unless you plan on leaving it in your driveway. The small gas engine does not even drive the wheels it only turns on to "help" charge the battery. I would bet that if you turned on your lights, wipers and stereo your 40 mile range would drop quickly. In that case you better invest in a very long extension cord. How can American car companies that were world leaders at one time miss the boat by so much?! The imports will rule this market in a few years. Is there not any knowledge that we can use from NASA, Military etc to makethe USA a leader again?

Response to Henry...

That 40 miles is electric only. you will use the gas generator to power the electric motors after the 40 miles. The longer you drive the less fuels economy. BUT at least half of your commute will be gas free.

This car is going to be a big hit and may just save GM. Sorry to everyone who is complaining about the price or the range- get in line for the Tesla roadster for a 200+ mile electric only range, but it will cost you over $100k. With govt. incentives the Volt could reach a sub $30k price point in a year or two after it's introduction. Hey people, cutting edge technology doesn't come cheap- these things ain't iPhones...

This is fantastic!

The Volt is truely is a revolution that we in America should applaud and - more importantly - purchase. Finally, a viable Amer I CAN option for all of us, which will force other manufactures to go to all electric designs.

This technology will only get better- with it we'll all save money and help our planet's atmosphere. Make no mistake, this potentially changes our entire outlook on the future as markets move from "The Prize" to an all electric enterprise where petroleum no longer governs our strategic thinking.

As someone who's been following the Volt for some time now, I'd like to address some of the above comments.

J.R. Hemenway & Craig: The Volt has a 40 mile range on the batteries alone. When you consider the gasoline generator backup, the range will be 300-400 miles, like a typical internal combustion automobile.

Bob Springer: Comparisons to Asian hybrids aren't entirely appropriate, since this is a purely electric car with gasoline generator backup. The sticker price is high, but there's more to calculate than just financial cost. Some of us are willing to save up for a more expensive car if it means greater energy independence and environmental stewardship. In time, the price will doubtless decrease -- GM wants most people to afford this technology.

The EV1 cost $80K+ to manufacture, which is one thing all oil haters (and documentaries) conveniently leave out.

Love it!!! Put this against Toyota and Honda's offering side by side and chevy wins - hands down. On looks, fuel economy, comfort, trunk space, ameneties. I think you would recoop your investment in the same amount of time given the direction gas prices are going as well. Don't understand why people don't see this for what it is - a great car. On sticker price, i would conceed it is higher, however, we buy up front in order to save down the roead. Not to mention that you're keeping people employed - such as gm engineers and the obligatory production people. C'mon people, this is a great car and is the innovation in the marketplace that everyone is screaming for. I will be holding off on a car purchase for sure now that GM is bringing real solutions to market. It will be interesting to see how quickly this is adopted by citizens. Plus, I believe you will be getting tax breaks etc. for purchasing this type of vehicl. Obama/McCain should BOTH be providing tax breaks to consumers who chose to buy this vehicle, as both candidates have been (esp. obama) whining about american jobs etc....so i say to the both of them, put your money where your mouth is. Michigan needs the jobs and a tax incentive to purchase this vehicle from GM is worthy of consideration.

I'd get it in a heartbeat until something better came out.

A wash with gasoline powered cars for carbon dioxide. More pollution on average, but it comes from power-plant smokestacks rather than tailpipes. Time to recover the extra vehicle cost: 20-50 years. There is no spare capacity for generating electricity from renewables, and there probably won't be for 20-30 years. By the time there is any, the 2010 Volts will be on the scrap heaps. Good luck, GM.

Looks like a typical GM loser to me ...

The author of the article really missed the point of the Volt. It's a compromise free car. Electric for 90% of the driving, but still able to drive cross country.

Wow it just blows my mind how ignorant some people's comments are from what is supossed to be such a smart demographic!! Luckily there are some intelligent people here who set them straight.

People see 40 miles and don't read any further. You can go ~40 miles before the really small engine kicks in to keep the battery charged and you can then drive until you run out of gas. My commute is about 15 miles each way. If my employer offerred a place to plug in the cars (Which I'm sure they would/will once this type of car becomes more prevalent), I could drive all week long without the gasoline engine every running. Now when I want to take that 500 mile long trip, I've got all the range of regular gasoline car. And the price? Well for whatever GM sells it for they will loose money initially. New technologies are expensive and the price comes down over time.

Todays hybrids run on all electric for a few miles at speeds up to maybe 25 MPH - this is progress. Not a panacea, but progress and toyota et al is working on the same thing..

GM blew it again! Wrong proce point and definitely ridiculously low mileage. Who drives only 40-miles a day? I expect one or more of the Asian manufacturers ... Japanese, Korean and even China ... will be on the market with respectable mileage and a price point for a 5-passenger sedan close to $20,000.

Something that people continue to forget about this car (one of the things that makes it so revolutionary) is that it is going to be the first production series hybrid electric. Unlike the prius, which is a parallel hybrid electric. This means no transmission which means no drive train losses. With no drive train losses there is more free energy for either power of mpg's.

Other car companies are working on similar projects but none of them are near production. This is a first, and it's from GM.

KEEP IN MIND...
#1: THE 35K PRICE IS ALMOST A 2 YEARS FROM NOW PRICE, NOT TOO BAD.
#2: THE GOVERNMENT IS PASSING A $5000 TAX CREDIT IF YOU BUY ONE!
#3: IT'S DESIGNED FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON WHO COMMUTES UP TO 40 MILES A DAY. THE GAS SAVINGS OVER 5-7 YEARS WILL BE ABOUT $6K-$7K ALONE. YOU CAN DRIVE FROM BOSTON TO VIRGINIA BEACH ON 1 TANK OF 7 GALLONS OF GAS!
#4: YOU HELP THE ENVIRONMENT, LESS POLLUTION TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY TO CHARGE THE CAR, THAN YOUR CAR BURNING GASOLINE.
#5: USES A LOT LESS GAS WHEN IT DOES USE IT, BECAUSE THE ENGINE ONLY POWERS A ELECTRIC GENERATOR, NOT THE CARS PROPULSION.
#6: TOTAL COST: 35k MINUS 5k TAX CREDIT, MINUS FUEL SAVINGS=$23k, NOT BAD AT ALL, PRICE WILL DROP MORE THE LONGER YOU KEEP THE CAR.
#7: USES LITHIUM ION BATTERY WHICH IS RECYCLABLE, TOYOTA PRIUS USED OLDER NI-CAD TECHNOLOGY, NOT RECYCLABLE LIKE LITHIUM AT ALL.
#8: THE CAR HAD TO BE MADE AREODYNAMIC. ITS CURRENT DESIGN IS NOW ONE OF THE MOST AREODYNAMIC CARS ON ROAD, EVER. THE CONCEPT WAS NOT AREODYNAMIC AT ALL.

What is the MPG of the volt when it is running on gas?

Why not more talk of the Ford ECO Fiesta that is sold in Europe, runs on diesel and gets 65mpg but is not sold here???

Let's do the math. Compare the Volt at $35,000 with the Toyota Corolla at around $15,000. How long to make up the $20,000 difference? Well, let's assume you commute about 30 mi/day (hat the Volt is designed for) and the Corolla gets about 30 mi/gal. So your savings by using electricity instead of gas is about 1 gallon ... around $4 minus around $1 for the electricity, or $3 per day. So that's 250 commuting days per year, plus some weekend driving gives you maybe 300 days, or around $900 per year. Will take you 22 years. Anyone think the batteries will last 22 years? Wonder what it will cost to replace them...many thousands, no doubt.

Ah, but what about that huge tax credit? Would require Democrats to gain a filibuster proof majority in the senate and Obama to win the presidency, no? What do the chances look like for that?

Still, patriotic Americans will buy the Volt despite the unfavorable economics because it will improve our balance of trade (we're currently spending hundreds of billions to bail out Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac so the Chinese don't lose too money and will continue to finance our deficits) and make us more energy independent, plus it is low polluting and quiet, so improves our quality of life. I'd buy one.

Does it come with a Honda generator and AAA membership for free? Just in case you don't get stuck on highway.

WHAT A JOKE 40 MILES WONT EVEN GET ME TO WORK

Yeah...people really need to read the whole article.
The 40 mile range is the initial range; after that, the gas motor kicks in and recharges the battery, which at all times is powering the drive wheels. This is the next step beyond the favorite of the holier-than-thou set, the Prius, which uses an electric motor in line with a traditional drivetrain, introducing frictional losses.

I'm not a GM fan but I applaud them for this step, which really is a leap forward. Is it the final answer to all our problems? No, but it certainly doesn't hurt, either.
I've read from various sources that even at the $35k price point, GM will be selling these at a loss, at least initially. Like all new technologies, the early adopters will be stuck paying the premium (who here bought an LCD TV five years ago?) That's just the way it goes.

The styling's not half-bad, either. When my old Saab gives up the ghost in a few years, I'll definitely give the Volt a look.

This is a joke. Toyota is probably a decade ahead of GM on this in terms of technology, ability to deliver, and marketing. By the time the Volt hits the road Toyota will have been 2 years in the plug-in hybrid market, with a less expensive car, and better in all specs. Too little too late once again.

As a follower of the volt for a while I'd like to clear up a few things and add some additional info

1) After 40 miles the car will use the gas powered generator to keep the electric motor running. the full economy on the gas generator is 50 mpg. So you could drive 90 miles a day and only use one gallon of gas.

2) The battery back holds 16kwh, the car will run on just batteries until the batteries reach 8 kwh. So you get 40 miles for 8kwh. In massachusetts where the electricity rates are some of the highest in the country that's still only about a $1.25 to charge the car up. BTW a solar panel roof is also being considered, so the daily charging costs could be even less.

3) I agree the concept was way cooler than the production version,,,I'm hoping GM will use this family sedan as a stepping stone to produce an electric sports car that could help match the performance of the tesla (Tesla has about 250 hp engine, but at well over 100K I;m hoping GW can make the jump from 150 hp to 250hp and make an electric ssports car for half of the price of a tesla.

4) I'm hoping GM can hit the 30K price on this car...because at 30K when you consider the gas savings and the tax rebate you are pretty close to being able to cover the car payment from the gas savings and tax rebate. At over 30k you might as well buy a low priced high MPG car and use the difference in price to pay for the gas. IF GM PRICES THIS ONE RIGHT THEY WILL SELL LIKE CRAZY, IF THEY PRICE THIS ONE TOO HIGH THIS WILL WINDUP APPEALING TO JUST A SMALL NICHE OF PEOPLE.

Yes, there will still be engine maintenance but much less frequent than on a conventional vehicle today in that a much higher percentage of your driving miles will be full electric during your commute when the gas engine is not running. Also, regenerative braking means no discs and rotors which are a significant maintenance savings.

Most people commute less than 30 miles a day:

Government stats I found:
68 percent reported a one-way commute of 15 miles or less
22 percent traveled between 16 and 30 miles
11 percent traveled more than 30 miles

I would definitely consider buying one, if the air conditioner works well.

It just kills me how GM always starts with a GREAT idea, but by the time the bean counters bastardize it, its just another Hum Drum GM product.
Other exciting models killed by the bean counters:
Corvair
Fiero
Vega with Cosworth/rotary engine
The list goes on.....

The ignorance and stupidity on this board is incredible. Do the research on this vehicle people and you will see that GM has created a truly innovative machine that stands to change the market. That's why it will be the first on the market and they're willing to take the loss by selling it in the $35k range. Do you think Toyota made money on the first hybrids in 2000? No they didn't, but they became the go-to name in that market segment and after the cost of the technology came down, everyone was still buying the Prius. Similar to how Microsoft and Sony initially lose on the sale of their new video game consoles, but recover the losses later on. I applaud your efforts GM and I look forward to being a proud owner of an American vehicle again one day.

On a side note.... those of you who drive way over 40 miles a day should really re-evaluate what your personal time is worth to you. Commuting in this state is one of the most god-awful things I've ever been a part of. After one year of a 40+ mile commute, I moved to a home 6 miles from where I work just so I could save my blood pressure and money that I wasted sitting in bumper to bumper traffic both ways every freaking day of my life. That's hell on earth if you ask me.

I just got up close yesterday to the Volt at a company GM 100th party outside at the Warren Tech Center, Michigan. I'd have to say I wasn't that impressed from the pictures on the WEB, But when your looking at it up close it is absolutely stunning. Very cool in my mind. The mix of colors and materials is stellar. I think alot of people will have a better perception when there up close and get to inspect it. One thing most people don't talk about is how it will cut down on noise pollution. I was standing about two feet away when after the party they drove it away and you could not hear it at all, I mean zero sound. VERY COOL.............

Just too many ignorant comments here.
The reason this car does not look like the concept is that the concept would only get you about 30 miles on a charge. If you are willing to give up 10 miles of range then maybe GM will sell you one.

There is a reason the Volt is shaped a heck of a lot like the Prius and the Insight; that's the most efficient shape!

Folks, you can get all bent out of shape about the shape of this car or you can embrace the idea that you may never have to use gas ever again. There will come a day in the not too distant future when an electric car will be the norm and will cost no more than an internal combustion car does today (adjusted for infaltion).

Of Course, it's much easier to sit there with your arms folded and criticize something for all the wrong reasons. We have to start somewhere. this is a reasonable start.

Some good and some ignorant comments made by all. thank you. my added opinion:
1. Yes I am a little disappointed by the loss of such a sporty design, but if you want fuel economy you have to give up a little style. It beats the design of the Toyota Prius, which I think has to be one of the ugliest cars ever designed, and still they sell a lot of those.
2. Would I buy one: definitely! Tax credits and fuel economy make it worth it. The car will be at least competitive in price from those benefits alone. If anyone knows anything about marketing strategy they would know that everything is more expensive in the beginning. DVDs for instance cost a mint in the beginning. Now you can get a DVD player for almost nothing. We currently see the same trend in Blue Ray players. After how many years on the market Sony recently announced they finally recovered the cost of development and just began making money on the product. Technology is not cheap and I applaud GM for taking this initial step. It's always easier to learn from others and improve. It's harder to grow the initiative and do something that has never been accomplished before.
3. Lastly, let's not make political comments on this site. You can't blame one greedy party over another for the current status of the economy. Personally, I blame every idiot that bought a house they can't afford and greedy Wall Street for allowing it. And those of you who are so worried about our very resilient economy not bouncing back, then maybe you should be less worried about buying foreign cars and put some of the money back into American made products like the Chevy Volt.

Many of the comments above argue back and forth about the details of the mileage, or the cost. There is no point in discussing a GM car when GM will be out of business long before it arrives at the dealers.
Unless the CEOs were lying to congress last week.....

I want one.

This will be the first of a new generation of vehicles. Some people are upset GM is going for the typical sedan buyer instead of the high-tech gizmo buyer, but keep in mind that if it succeeds then the technology will be the platform for all kinds of cars.

The 40 mile all-electric range is enough for 80%+ of people's commutes. The car doesn't stop then, that's when the gas engine kicks in. Plus, as these kind of cars become popular, you're likely to be able to plug them in at work.

I know GM is in trouble, but this vehicle is worth saving.

This isn't newsworthy. This is a paid advertisement for a product that won't be available FOR TWO YEARS, assuming GM is still around then.

When I can buy one in my local dealer - then write an article about it. Until then - stop shilling for GM and write about cars we can actually buy.

While GM, Ford and Chrysler were busy building all the UGLY RETRO-STYLE cars in the last 5 years, the Japanese car makers were leaping the US carmakers. Let's look at all the UGLY cars on the road today: PT Cruiser, HHR, Aztek, and what's the name of the Chevy "pickup" truck. I swear I would NEVER be seen in ANY one of those. Our family has had a number of American cars in the last 20 years: Dodge k-car, minivan, Chevy S-10 and an "original" Saturn wagon and a Saturn L-series. The orginal Saturn was a really nice little car and with the manual transmission, we were getting 40 MPG on the highway. The car was reliable thru its lifespan. Other than the normal maintaince we only had the water pump replaced. The car did not have too much power (90HP as I recall) but with a stick shift it was still peppy. It was a wagon so I could haul all my fishing gear from Cape to Maine. With the gas was nearing $4 I wish GM ahd brought back the old Saturns. Simple, reliable and efficient. Then we got a new Saturn L-series which was a piece of junk, in and out of the shop all the time. GM had a great idea with Saturn but they ruin it by turning it into another "GM" car. We finally got sick at the Saturn and we traded in for a Toyota and could not be happier. I guess we are just another customer who left GM forever.