Earlier this week we mentioned the Chevrolet Volt concept car in connection with a new deal between General Motors and A123Systems for battery development. Now let’s take a chance to look at the Volt a little closer.

The Chevrolet Volt concept car was introduced earlier this year. As a concept car, its specifications are subject to change, but if GM can deliver on the promise of this car, I personally would think very hard about buying it.

Working on the basic fact that 78% of commuters drive 40 miles or less to and from work, the volt is designed with a 40 mile range on battery power alone. This means that if you plug it in when you stop driving (only a standard 100V household plug needed), you actually won’t be using any gas in your daily commute. Now the obvious concern of course is what happens for the commutes of more than 40 miles. The GM E-Flex system uses the small engine in the car (apparently this can be gas, ethanol or diesel/biodiesel) to recharge the batteries. For drives in the 60 mile range, GM states that you can travel at 150mpg. However, the Volt is more than just a city driving car, since the onboard engine can function continuously to recharge the battery system. While this lowers the mpg rating, GM still estimates the car at a respectable 50mpg in this form of driving.

Combing this power system with the traditional sleek lines that I personally feel characterizes the sportier cars of the GM line, I certainly feel that the Volt is worth a test-drive when it comes out!