Green Daily

GM took a lot of flak and got unflatteringly documentarized for dumping their popular electric car the EV1, back in the 90's, so they've got a big stake in at least appearing sincere about producing efficient, eco-friendly vehicles.

Perhaps with that in mind, GM Vice President of Global Program Management Jonathan Lauckner executive told a forum in Washington D.C. that GM is planning to make "tens of thousands" of plug-in electric Chevy Volts starting as early as 2010. GM sold more than 9 million cars last year, so even 100,000 Volts wouldn't represent a sea change in the way America drives, but hey, baby steps and all that.

The Volt was introduced as a concept car last year, and has generated a great deal of interest because it will likely be the first fully electric auto produced by one of the Big 3 automakers. Unlike existing "hybrids" such as the Toyota Prius which use both gas and electric motors at the same time, the Volt - if and when it goes into production - would be powered exclusively by an electric motor, with a gas engine being used principally to keep the batteries charged. GM is designing the car to travel 40 miles without a recharge, although longer trips would need an internal combustion assist.