GM hopes Volt charges up other model sales

What do you get from an image-battered Detroit automaker whose prestige could largely ride on the launch of one revolutionary car — one that's likely to lose money for years to come? You get the much ballyhooed Chevy Volt.

There are high expectations for this car, which General Motors hopes will become America's pre-eminent green vehicle.

Ten of GM's precious pre-production Volts are lined up at their battery docking stations on a crisp autumn day in Rochester, Mich. They're all charged up — literally.

Aaron Bragman, an analyst with IHS Automotive, gets behind the wheel of a silver Volt. He's among successive waves of journalists, bloggers and analysts who are driving Volts on all-day road trips through southeast Michigan. They'll log a total of 15,000 miles.

Like Bragman, most will give the car high marks. It's comfortable, fun to drive and quiet. There's tons of torque — car people love torque — and there's all that cool stuff on the dash and in the power train.

"The level of technology in this thing is surprising, even to those of us who've seen high-tech cars," Bragman says. "You pop the hood and it is packed."

The Volt runs on its battery alone for 25 to 50 miles, depending on how and where you drive. After that, the internal combustion engine kicks in to power the electric motor.

"You barely even know the engine comes on," Bragman says.

Since most people drive fewer than 40 miles a day, it's possible to drive the Volt just like an electric car, most of the time. But if you need to go a long distance, you can do that too, using gas.

It's as unique as the Prius hybrid was 13 years ago. Bragman says it's entirely possible the Volt could be to GM as the Prius is to Toyota. "This is really the new halo vehicle — the new green, gotta-have it vehicle," he says.

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