Chevy Volt to arrive in showrooms by the end of 2010

Chevy Volt

The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle to be produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors and expected to be launched in November 2010 as a 2011 model.

Its price is estimated to be near $40,000.

The production design model, first revealed to the public on September 16, 2008, differs greatly in design from the original concept car.

Citing necessary aerodynamic changes needed to extend the Volt’s initial full-charge range, the Volt uses GM’s new “Delta II” platform, shared by the planned 2010 Chevrolet Cruze and the 2011 Saab 9-3.

Although GM has not publicly revealed the production model’s drag coefficient, they claim it will be lower than the 0.25 drag coefficient of the Toyota Prius, which uses a Kammback body.

In July 2007, General Motors stated that it would have the Volt on the U.S. market in 2010, and in early June 2008, they confirmed that production had been approved, with a target of getting the Volt into showrooms by the end of 2010.

GM announced the Volt can achieve a US EPA ‘City’ rating of 230 mpg-US (1.0 L/100 km; 280 mpg-imp) plus 25 kWh/100 mi (160 km) using the EPA’s proposed method for evaluating plug-in hybrids.