The New GM Volt For 2010The new GM Volt by Chevrolet is set to become available in the United States in 2010. Prototypes of the production car have been appearing at motor shows for some time. The Volt is a sporty take on the petrol / electric hybrid car, and would appeal to those of us who would like to purchase a Tesla Roadster but can't afford it. 
Electric Only DrivingThe car can travel 40 miles on electric charge stored in the car's batteries, but a full tank of gas can get you up to 640 miles. This petrol is used to run a small on-board generator that tops up the car's battery. That makes the Volt a superior choice over the Tesla Roadster in terms of maximum distance between fuel stops. The battery takes roughly six hours to reach full charge. That's fairly slow, but you won't need any special equipment to charge it. It plugs directly into a standard mains electricity supply. GM has chosen this 40 mile electric-only driving range for two reasons. The first is that most commuters drive less than that distance on any given day, allowing virtually all day to day driving to be done with no emissions. The other reason is the size, weight and cost of the battery. A modest battery size like that in the Volt allows the car to be lighter and therefore more efficient. It also costs less than a larger battery which in turn translates to a lower cost to the consumer.
PerformanceThe Volt can accelerate from standstill to 60 miles per hour in about 5 or 6 seconds. It won't win a drag against the Roadster, but then again very few cars could. The GM Volt's top speed is limited to 120 miles per hour. How Much Will It Cost?Estimates of the price are in the mid to high 30s mark, so if we assume $37,500 that'd be pretty close. That doesn't take into account the federal tax credit, which currently stands at $7500. AvailabilityGeneral Motors will be making this car available under several badges from 2010 onwards, including the Holden Volt in Australia and the Opel Ampera in Europe to name but two. It will be released in the United States first. Reviewed: 30 March 2009 Return from GM Volt to Electric Cars or Return to the Green Planet home page for Solar Power Facts.
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