120mph electric car shocks Detroit

A petrol-electric car which can top 120mph and make journeys of up to 640 miles between fill ups was announced yesterday.

The Chevrolet Volt is powered by a battery which can be charged by plugging it to the mains or by its small engine to cover 150 miles per gallon.

Once the battery has been drained, the Volt uses a small 1-litre engine to charge the battery, rather than drive the wheels.

The Volt can be fully charged in six hours by plugging into the mains supply for a range of 40 miles of electric-only city driving – then the engine will run at a constant speed to create energy and replenish the battery.

On a long run, the petrol engine can still cover 50mpg while charging the battery, meaning it can cover double the distance of most cars between fuel stops.

In addition, the Volt has been designed to run on environmentally-friendly bio-ethanol.

General Motors chief, Bob Lutz – who also presides over Chevrolet – said: "The Chevrolet Volt is a new type of electric vehicle. It addresses the range problem and has room for passengers and their stuff. You can climb a hill or turn on the air conditioning and not worry about it."

The concept relies on advances in battery technology which boffins predict won't be available for another three years.

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