Chevrolet Volt

What is it? An electric-drive concept car from General Motors, the Chevrolet Volt is a futuristic, sporty-looking four-seater with an electric motor, lithium-ion battery pack, and a small 1.0-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine. This is a plug-in hybrid: an electric car that you can recharge with house current or from the gasoline engine. Unlike current-generation hybrids, the engine doesn’t ever drive the wheels, it only recharges the main battery, which powers the electric motor drivetrain. GM calls this design E-Flex, and sees it as one possible future for the electric car, since the Volt concept can be adapted for different powertrain configurations, such as gasoline/electric, diesel/electric or hydrogen fuel cell/electric, all using the same motor drive.

At this point, the Volt concept has an all-electric range of only 40 miles in everyday driving. But General Motors stated that with the gasoline engine kicking in to charge the battery, a 150-mile trip would get the equivalent of 150 mpg. With a full charge of battery and gasoline power, the car has a claimed range of some 600 miles. The electric motor produces the equivalent of 160 horsepower.

What is new or notable: An electric-car chassis with many possible alternatives for supplemental power.

CR's take: The concept is simple. Throw a portable generator in the back of a 1996 GM EV1 and you're covered if you outdrive the limited range that the batteries provide. Don't laugh just yet though--it makes sense. For many, 40 miles will cover their daily commute. And unlike the EV1, the Volt promises plenty of room, performance, and creature comforts. A major concern is whether our existing power grid can handle it and if you want to pay a bigger electric bill instead of the gas station.