PROMISE KEEPER -- GM DELIVERS VOLT, AND IT PERFORMS AS ADVERTISED

By Bob Gritzinger, AutoWeek.com - Not long before the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, General Motors conducted a hush-hush session for auto writers at its suburban Detroit technical center. The subject: the impending world premier of the Chevrolet Volt concept and, more specifically, the idea of a new kind of automotive propulsion featuring all-electric drive backed by an onboard electrical generator.

At the time, GM made some promises:

• The Volt would deliver 40 to 45 miles of pure electric driving.
• The electric batteries powering the Volt's drive motors would be supported by an on-board generator by a gasoline or diesel-fueled internal-combustion engine, effectively giving the Volt the range of a normal internal-combustion powertrain.
• The Volt would be in production no later than the end of 2010.

Despite intervening history that might have torpedoed such an ambitious project at most companies -- a global economic collapse and an industrywide sales swoon that led to quick-rinse bankruptcy, the departure of GM product chairman and Volt champion Bob Lutz and three CEO turnovers -- GM's engineers delivered on all of those promises. Or at least they're close enough for government work.

As promised, 2011 Volts will hit the market on schedule, initially in seven states by December, with wider distribution in 2011. For $41,000 US ($33,500 US for those who qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit), you get a car with an EV drive system in which the first 25 to 50 miles come from a battery charged from a standard 120-volt outlet or a 240-volt power plug. After the EV range is depleted, a 1.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine cranks up to power an onboard generator to send more juice to the drive motor and to maintain a base level of charge in the car's 400-pound, T-shaped, 16-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. That extends the car's range by about 310 miles. Promises kept.

A handful of pocket-protector types whine that GM's final product isn't truly an all-electric vehicle. But for the vast majority of Volt buyers, it is irrelevant whether a small amount of mechanical power from the internal-combustion engine transfers through an electric motor directly to the drive wheels, somewhat like a parallel hybrid. For most folks, the Volt performs as advertised; it runs on stored battery power or on range-extending, onboard-generated electric power, without any of the worries of having a drained battery that might leave you sitting by the side of the road. As long as you don't run the 9.3-gallon gasoline tank dry, you'll never be stranded.

We think it's more important to note that when the car isn't running in pure EV mode, it doesn't come close to providing the kind of fuel economy we've come to expect from diesels and hybrids such as the Toyota Prius. Straight math shows that fuel economy is 38 to 40 mpg; more scientific analyses put it at upward of 100 mpg, but that would require driving a lot of miles on electricity from your household outlet.

Aside from the powertrain, the car's beauty lies in its normalcy. It rides comfortably and quietly, steers adequately, brakes sensationally and handles without too much battery-weight-induced roll. Only when the battery runs down and the driver's right foot demands hard acceleration (or in power-producing "Mountain Mode," which adds to the battery reserves) does the onboard gasoline engine run at peak revs, with its muffled sound permeating the cabin. Most of the time when the engine is running, the speed is deliverately matched to the pedal position, not to provide varying power but to simulate the sounds a driver would expect from a normal internal-combustion-engine vehicle. If you have the audio system on, chances are you'll never hear it.

Because of the electric drive, the usual transmission gear changes don't exist, so there's just plenty of smooth, strong power on demand. It's a lot like driving a high-torque, four-cylinder, gasoline-engine sedan similar in size to the Chevy Cruze, with which the Volt shares under-pinnings.

Inside, Volt engineers clearly couldn't contain their enthusiasm, adding a variety of whiz-bang graphic displays, one framed by a center stack made from what appears to be the same high-quality white plastic found in many Apple products. It looks sharp, but nestling the shift lever into the tight confines of the center stack is an idea that should have stayed with the concept. And we wouldn't mind having a normal fuel gauge and a three-seat second-row bench (made impossible by the battery pack), but that's just our old 20th century thinking.

Is there a Volt in your future? If you're like 80 percent of Americans who drive less than 40 miles back and forth to work each day, all of your power should come from household recharging, so you'll never spend another dime on gasoline for your daily commute. If you drive farther, forcing the gasoline engine to extend your range, fuel economy is hardly class-leading, but 38 mpg is nothing to sneeze at for an EV capable of going on a cross-country road trip without having to worry about locating the next power outlet.