GM Unwraps Volt, Toyota Opposes Volt Tax Break

General Motors introduced the production version of the Chevrolet Volt in Detroit yesterday, as part of the company's 100-year anniversary celebration. The vehicle bears a strong resemblance to the leaked photos from the "Transformers 2" set from a few weeks back. The vehicle is more aerodynamic than the concept that debuted in 2007.

GM reiterated the Volt's capabilities: 40-miles on all-electric drive, and a 400-mile hybrid electric range. The Volt currently requires about 8 hours to recharge completely when plugged in, but GM was predictably mum on the Volt's battery supplier. GM has said previously that it would announce the chosen supplier publicly by the end of 2008.

In addition to new styling details, General Motors has outfitted the Volt with reconfigurable displays inside the vehicle. Currently, GM offers reconfigurable displays as an option on 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt and HHR SS models. The reconfigurable displays are tied to the ECO-tec engines, and GM has plans to introduced the displays to future vehicle programs. The reconfigurable displays enable the driver to choose which aspects of engine/drive-train performance the vehicle will monitor and allows for some reconfiguration of the traction control systems in the Cobalt and HHR SS models.

Meanwhile, Toyota, which announced last month that it would likely bring the planned Prius PHEV to market earlier than originally expected, says it would object to tax breaks that would provide $7,500 credits for owners of vehicles whose battery packs are rated at 6 kWh or better. Currently, the only known vehicle that would meet that specification is the Volt. The current Prius uses a 1.3 kWh battery pack and the company has not released information about the specifications of its redesigned PHEV. The US government offers tax breaks on hybrid car purchases, but those breaks are limited by vehicle manufacturer and Toyota's tax breaks have all been claimed. The tax breaks have not been tied to any loan program under consideration for US automakers, but conceivably, the Volt bonus from Uncle Sam could be considered at the same time.