Chevrolet Volt

OVERVIEW
It’s worth the effort -- the Chevrolet Volt (if it is going to be a car of the future) is interesting not just from a tech point of view but from a styling perspective. Because the Volt is just on the other side of the cutting edge, it has a suitably futuristic look inside and out. The more that eco-friendly cars can move away from a plain-Jane demeanor, the more chance they have of being popular.

Chevrolet says the Volt uses current and “near-term” technologies, meaning that when someone can work out a way for lithium-ion batteries to recharge without getting really hot (or even develop a new compact and workable system), then the Volt will charge toward production. Right now, the car can cover 40 miles on electricity alone, but a working concept is better than a static one.

UNDER THE HOOD
53kW electric motor1.0-liter three-cylinder, turbocharged (running on gas or E85)160 horsepower236lb-ft of torque0-60mph: 8.5 secondsTop speed: 120 mph

OUR TAKE
There are some good ideas in this concept. In the bid to be seen as green, this is one of the more convincing efforts. The funny thing is, didn’t GM produce an electric car a few years ago? Or was that just a movie?