Battery Power

• GM bills the Chevy Volt as an "extended-range electric vehicle," or E-REV. This is in reference to its propulsion system, formerly known as E-Flex. The Volt's propulsion system enables it to run up to 40 miles on electricity from a 400-pound lithium ion battery pack at 16 kilowatt hours. GM believes that two-thirds of Americans drive fewer than 40 miles a day. Drivers can then charge the battery every night and completely stop their dependence on gasoline.
  
  

Electric Power

• According to GM, drivers would need to feed the Chevy Volt's engine with gasoline if they intend to go beyond the estimated 40-mile battery range. Doing so would enable the Volt's generator to provide the car with electric power. GM built the Volt's engine to be a power range extender, and gasoline would not translate into emissions.
  
  

Design

• The earliest styling of the Chevy Volt--the model unveiled in Detroit in 2007--suggested that it was going for an electric version of the Camaro, a sleek pony car with two doors. By 2008, however, it emerged as a five-door hatchback, not unlike the Toyota Prius.
  
  

Production and Pricing

• After shifting the Chevy Volt's production date several times, GM established it as November 2010. It will sell the Volt for the 2011 model year. As of April 2010, GM has yet to determine the vehicle's price tag. The automaker states, however, that the Volt will qualify for the $7,500 maximum federal tax credit for plug-in electric vehicles.
  
  

Miles-Per-Gallon Claim

• As of April 2010, GM is distancing itself from the claim that the vehicle can achieve up to 230 miles per gallon. According to Andrew Farah, the chief Volt engineer, the number came up during preliminary meetings with the Environmental Protection Agency.