General Motors ushered in many innovations during its first 100 years, which were celebrated onSeptember 16 at the company’s Detroit headquarters. Charles ‘Boss’ Kettering’s electric starter,the fully automatic transmission, catalytic converter, safety glass, and energy-absorbing steeringcolumn changed how we drive and survive. When you think of GM’s finest moments, the ’30s CadillacV-16, ’55 Bel Air, ’59 Cadillac, Corvette Corvair, GTO, Olds Toronado, Camaro, Firebird, Chevelle,442, Grand National, Impala SS, and EV1 come to mind. From tailfins to electrons, GM is charginginto its next century.

‘Revealing the production version of the Chevy Volt is a great way to open our second century,’said Rick Wagoner, GM Chairman and CEO, during his company’s anniversary celebration. ‘The Volt issymbolic of GM’s strong commitment to the future’just the kind of technology innovation that ourindustry needs to respond to today’s and tomorrow’s energy and environmental challenges.’

A concept version of the Volt was unveiled at the 2007 North American International Auto Show inDetroit, changing forever the way we think about travel. It is the first production model developedby GM since the notorious EV1 that was engineered from the ground up as an electric car.

A little science lesson’ The Toyota Prius and all the rest of the hybrids available today aregasoline-powered vehicles with a battery and electric motor that provide supplemental power whenneeded. Generators in the braking system capture energy that would normally be dissipated as heatduring deceleration. Although Toyota and Saturn are known to have plug-in hybrids in development,none of the current hybrids can be plugged in.

The Volt’s lithium ion batteries ‘ essentially scaled up laptop batteries – can be plugged intohousehold current to give the vehicle a range of about 40 miles. After that, a smallE85/gasoline-capable engine cycles on and off to keep the batteries charged, extending range toabout 300 miles. Unlike in the Prius, the gasoline engine never drives the wheels. Think of theVolt as a pure electric car with a ‘back up’ generator. The cool part is that the back up systemcould someday be a diesel engine or hydrogen fuel cell as in the Chevy Equinox test fleet currentlybeing driven by residents of Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and New York City.

Driving an electric car is an exhilarating experience. Electric motors produce tons of torqueinstantly. Step on the accelerator off the line, and you feel a whoosh of acceleration with almostno noise. It’s an absolute delight. The Volt’s powertrain produces 150 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft.of torque, allowing the car to reach a governed top speed of 100 mph. The Volt is like a jet whereall other cars are piston-driven noise bombs.

Those of you familiar with the Volt concept car will undoubtedly note how different theproduction version looks. The blogosphere is ablaze with nasty-grams to GM because the concept wasa low-slung sedan with future Camaro looks while production versions are as advanced as a MarsLander, but taller and rounder to improve range-extending aerodynamics. It is a little less Camaroand a little more Prius, but undeniably handsome and futuristic. A flush grille, sleek mirrors,ground hugging bodysides, and integrated decklid spoiler greet and pass the air with minimumturbulence.

The cabin is highlighted by a cool driver-configurable LCD instrument panel, seven-inchtouchscreen control display, touchscreen climate and audio controls, optional navigation systemwith hard drive for music storage, and Bluetooth connectivity for phone calls and audio streaming.As has become common with recent Chevrolet products, the twin dash design was inspired by classicCorvettes. When in Park, the gear selector is flush with the dash in its own little garage. Largecupholders keep everybody hydrated. Stylists purposely penned the interior simply, but reached asfar into the future as buyers are likely to tolerate.

GM begins the transformation of the automobile from gasoline to electricity with the Volt, whichwill likely rank in the pantheon of Chevy’s greatest alongside Corvette, Bel Air, Camaro, andImpala. With gasoline still near $4/gallon and not likely to retreat, being able to ‘refuel’ yourcar from a home outlet sounds great. According to GM, it will cost about $0.02/mile to power theVolt compared to about $0.12/mile for a gasoline vehicle at $3.60/gallon. Over the course of afive-year loan, you would save $7,500! Prices have not been announced, but the Volt is expected tostart around $40,000 (minus expected government incentives) when it starts rolling out of itsDetroit factory during 2010. Here’s to the Volt and GM’s next 100 years!