Chevrolet Volt to launch in UK as a Vauxhall

General Motors (GM) is planning to launch the Chevrolet Volt electric car in the UK under its Vauxhall marque. The US version of the plug-in vehicle is set to go into production in late 2010.

The Chevrolet Volt is central to GM’s plans for recovery and the company has promoted the car’s development since a concept version was unveiled last year. GM says it has begun work on a number of similar vehicles and it is likely that one of these models will be rebadged as Vauxhall for the UK and as an Opel in mainland Europe.

Toyota, the leader in the hybrid vehicle market, also plans to launch a plug-in car in 2010 but unlike the Volt, the Toyota will also be driven by petrol.

GM says it aims to be the first car manufacturer to launch an all-electric car. The Volt’s battery is recharged by plugging it into a household socket and the car will be able to travel for 40 miles on battery power alone, when fully charged. A small petrol motor will be integrated to recharge the battery for longer journeys.