Chevy's Volt Has the Juice

But safety, cost, and reliability factors still need to be ironed out before GM can bring its plug-in hybrid to market

It wasn't too long ago that General Motors' (GM) top executives sniffed at the notion of building hybrids. They were too expensive to be made profitably. Consumers wouldn't pay for fuel economy until gasoline prices stood well over $3 a gallon. And hydrogen-powered cars would make hybrids a short-lived option early in the next decade.

Today those GM execs are looking shortsighted. After the price of gas soared in early 2006, the company was caught unprepared as hybrids and other vehicles that emphasized fuel economy suddenly became hot commodities.

As a result, in addition to crashing a dozen GM gasoline hybrid models through the design process so that they can reach the market in the next several years, the company is now pushing plug-in hybrids. Plug-ins offer better fuel economy than today's hybrids because larger batteries store more energy and one can drive in pure electric mode longer. The most impressive one—the Chevrolet Volt concept being unveiled on Jan. 7 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit—can run purely on electric power and can get a minimum 50 mpg over the long haul.

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/autos/content/jan2007/bw20070108_195447.htm