2011 Opel Ampera: Screw The Schedule, Here's The Full Reveal

The Opel Ampera had its coming out party a wee bit early for the Geneva Motor Show. Don't fret, our European breathren, your emo-ecomobile is here and we've got all the photos, and details below. More »

Opel Ampera Officially Unveiled!

GM has officially unveiled the Opel Ampera, Europe's version of the Chevy Volt. In a reversal of usual practice, the Ampera is mechanically identical to its American cousin but is much better looking. More »

Transformers 2 Chevy Volt Gets A Name: "Jolt"

When we showed you the first Chevy Volt pictures from the set of the new Transformers movie, we all wondered what character GM’s little earth-saving electric car would be. Well, his name is "Jolt."

Rumor: GM To NOT Put Chevy Volt Program On Hold, Cut Engineering Staff Tomorrow

Rumors of tomorrow's "important changes" at GM have approached a fevered pace, but the latest one we've heard is coming directly from someone who's directly related to someone who could be directly affected if the rumor is true. So, it must be true, right? Anyway, we've just been told by the family of a Chevy Volt engineering team member that not only is the untouchable Volt program on hold, GM's even letting some of the engineering team, aka "the chosen people," go. Hit the jump for the full rumor. UPDATE: One PR source is telling us this morning that the Volt program is definitely not on hold and another is telling us all options are still on the table. We guess we'll find out later today. UPDATE #2: We're now being told, more vigorously this time, that there's no plan to cut the program. More »

The Top Ten Design Elements Of The Chevy Volt

Yesterday's reveal of the production Chevy Volt got us thinking we should take a closer look at the design features, both inside and out, that make GM's plug-in hybrid unique. We've picked out five exterior and an equal number of interior design elements we feel are most important, and taken a little deeper look at each. Without further ado, hit the jump for our top ten key design elements that make the Volt so...eclectically electric. More »

GM's Lutz: Chevy Volt Will Use GPS To Determine Distance From Home, Adjust Engine Accordingly

At GM's "blogger town hall" at the end of yesterday's Chevy Volt unveil, the General's Vice Chairman and product czar, "Maximum" Bob Lutz, made mention to a Volt feature we hadn't yet heard about, and is even more techie-cool than the iPod-like interface on the center stack. Apparently, the Volt will "know how far you are from home" using what we're assuming is an on-board GPS system. The plug-in electric extended range hybrid's computer will then use that distance, along with route information, to determine how long the car needs to run the gas engine to charge the on-board battery pack, allowing the vehicle to truly maximize fuel economy. Even if you're not drinking the GM Kool-Aid, you've got to be wow'ed by a system like that — as long as it actually works. Read the full quote from "The" Bob after the galleries and the jump below. More »

Chevy Volt, Live And Unplugged!

The finale of GM's centennial celebration today was the official reveal of the production 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the first official plug-in hybrid production vehicle from a major auto manufacturer. Details are slim, but what we know is this — GM calls it an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV), it has a top speed of 100 mph and 40 miles on all-electric based on the EPA city cycle. The rest of what we know, plus the official press release, are below the jump. More »

Chevy Volt: Taste The Rainbow

An aspiring designer at GMInsideNews has taken it upon himself to restyle the Chevy Volt, responding to criticism that the plug-in corporate savior is a bit on the bland side. Aside from applying a selection of questionable hues to the Volt, he sketched in "lightning bolt zigzag style headlights" in an effort to give the design some teeth. The beltline has also been jacked into a pseudo-G6 high-rise tribute, resulting in an effort that's arguably more derivative than the prevealed Volt we've already seen. What do you think? Full renderings in technicolor goodness after the jump. More »

Chevy Volt Plug-in Hybrid Revealed Early

Set to debut later this week, the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid electric vehicle has hit the web courtesy of some photos posted by The Car Connection. These images show what is said to be the production model posing with GM's hunkiest designers and executives, building on some teaser shots of the Volt already revealed. More information as it becomes available. More »