GM finishes last pre-production Chevy Volt

In Brief: On Friday, GM finished the last of 74 pre-production Chevy Volts, and now is set to begin a year's worth of heavy testing to prep for a future release date.

Vehicle in the news

Make/Model: Chevy Volt
Manufacturer: General Motors

The Word

The Chevy Volt's vocal fanbase can breathe a sigh of relief, as the 74th and final pre-production Volt rolled off the line Friday. Her critics now have a year or so to watch and wait as the Volt undergoes a battery of tests meant to push her and her drivetrain to the limit.

Andy Pawlaczyk, chairperson of UAW Local 160 (which will be partly building the Volt), told the Detroit Free Press, “This is our shining moment after all we’ve been through with the bankruptcy this year."

The paper also listed three added features on these Volts:
- Gauges that the driver can personalize with his or her own configurations
- "A spinning, three-dimensional 'Volt' logo on a touch-screen panel"
- "A green charging light for when it’s plugged in between drives"

And so …

The target date to get the Chevy Volt into a dealer's showroom near you? November 2010.