Production version of the Chevrolet Volt coming in the near future

GM announced that the Chevrolet Volt has made a giant step toward becoming a reality, design is finalized and a production version will be revealed in the very near future. GM wants to built more than 100,000 units a year after 2010. Volt will be built at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center that now builds full-size luxury sedans.

"We intend to show a production version of the Chevy Volt publicly in the very near future," said Rick Wagoner, GM chairman and CEO, in perhaps the most encouraging news to come out of the GM annual shareholders’ meeting here. "We remain focused on our target of getting the Volt into Chevrolet showrooms by the end of 2010."

Wagoner added: "The Chevy Volt is a go. We believe this is the biggest step yet in our industry’s move away from our historic, virtually complete reliance on petroleum to power vehicles."

As both exterior and interior design are finalized, the next step toward production include validating the car’s lithium-ion batteries and working on "ancillary systems," such as its air-conditioning system and stereo.