CONCEPT - Chevy Volt By Casey Williams www.car-data.com General Motors ushered in many innovations during its first 100 years, which were celebrated on September 16, 2008 at the company’s Detroit headquarters.  “Revealing the production version of the Chevy Volt is a great way to open our second century,” said Rick Wagoner, GM Chairman and CEO, during his company’s anniversary celebration. “The Volt is symbolic of GM’s strong commitment to the future…just the kind of technology innovation that our industry needs to respond to today’s and tomorrow’s energy and environmental challenges.”

A concept version of the Volt was unveiled at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, changing forever the way we think about travel. It is the first production model developed by GM since the notorious EV1 that was engineered from the ground up as an electric car.

The Volt’s lithium ion batteries – essentially scaled up laptop batteries - can be plugged into household current to give the vehicle a range of about 40 miles. After that, a small E85/gasoline-capable engine cycles on and off to keep the batteries charged, extending range to about 300 miles. Unlike in the Prius, the gasoline engine never drives the wheels. Think of the Volt as a pure electric car with a “back up” generator. The cool part is that the back up system could someday be a diesel engine or hydrogen fuel cell as in the Chevy Equinox test fleet currently being driven by residents of Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and New York City.

Driving an electric car is an exhilarating experience. Electric motors produce tons of torque instantly. Step on the accelerator off the line, and you feel a whoosh of acceleration with almost no noise. It’s an absolute delight. The Volt’s powertrain produces 150 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft. of torque, allowing the car to reach a governed top speed of 100 mph. The Volt is like a jet where all other cars are piston-driven noise bombs.

The Volt is undeniably handsome and futuristic. A flush grille, sleek mirrors, ground hugging bodysides, and integrated decklid spoiler greet and pass the air with minimum turbulence.

The cabin is highlighted by a cool driver-configurable LCD instrument panel, seven-inch touchscreen control display, touchscreen climate and audio controls, optional navigation system with hard drive for music storage, and Bluetooth connectivity for phone calls and audio streaming. As has become common with recent Chevrolet products, the twin dash design was inspired by classic Corvettes. When in Park, the gear selector is flush with the dash in its own little garage. Large cupholders keep everybody hydrated. Stylists purposely penned the interior simply, but reached as far into the future as buyers are likely to tolerate.

GM begins the transformation of the automobile from gasoline to electricity with the Volt, which will likely rank in the pantheon of Chevy’s greatest alongside Corvette, Bel Air, Camaro, and Impala.  According to GM, it will cost about $0.02/mile to power the Volt compared to about $0.12/mile for a gasoline vehicle at $3.60/gallon. Over the course of a five-year loan, you would save $7,500! Prices have not been announced, but the Volt is expected to start around $40,000 (minus expected government incentives) when it starts rolling out of its Detroit factory during 2010. Here’s to the Volt and GM’s next 100 years!