Chevy Volt Revealed Officially

DETROIT — No longer the best kept secret in town, photos of the highly anticipated 2011 Chevrolet Volt have been released on the Web.

The future plug-in electric car is expected to be the centerpiece of GM's 100th anniversary celebration next week. The official photos show GM executives and members of the development team posing with the car that GM says will be a game-changer for the industry.

First revealed at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, excitement surrounding the Chevy Volt began escalating again last week, after what appeared to be a production version of the Volt was spied on the set of Transformers 2 during filming in Long Beach, California. Further investigation determined that the Volt seen running with the future Autobots and Decepticons was a fiberglass shell riding on a Chevy Malibu platform.

Unlike current hybrids like the Toyota Prius, the Chevrolet Volt runs purely on electric power. The onboard gasoline engine is used only to recharge the batteries. GM says to expect about 40 miles of pure electric range from the Chevrolet Volt when it goes on sale in the fall of 2010.

What this means to you: The Volt was previously scheduled to make its production debut next week, so expect to learn more soon.