Plug-In Volt Hitting the Road

GM is ready to test the much-hyped Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid that everyone in the automotive media can’t seem to stop talking about. The Volt’s propulsion system — the parts that make it go — will be put to the test in a mule vehicle. A mule is an industry term that describes a new car being tested under the guise of an older one. In this case, the Volt will look like a last-generation Chevy Malibu.

A number of journalists checked out the Volt program in Michigan last week, and AutoWeek came away with some tidbits about the interior resembling the new Malibu’s dual cockpit setup. It even went so far as to call the styling reminiscent of 1960s Corvettes.

These road tests are important, but GM still doesn’t expect to have a fully drivable version until 2009. The on-sale date is still projected as 2010. A GM spokesperson said the Volt is the company’s “No. 1 priority.”

GM to road-test Volt propulsion systems this month (AutoWeek)