40 miles per charge then a gasoline engine kicks in?
To do a true electric it has to be really light and aero ergo the EV1. Cost and marketing prohibitive. With the Li-Ion power densities they can now do it with a normal car, yet not with super range. My guess is if the Volt used the lead acid batteries we are all used too (1st gen EV1) you would be lucky to get 20 miles out of it. So they do a plug in for that 40 mile average that mom uses to get groceries. The Gasoline engine has a generator that then sends the power to a motor. Ergo the Volt has no traditional Transmission. This is way different than any other Hybrid which has esentially 2 drivetrains, electric and gas. This is an all electric drivetrain with a pony motor if you will. It is a leap beyond the Prius. If an Ultra-capacitor can come along or a battery leap, maybe they can go full series electric with the pony motors electrical energy going straight to the battery pack./ultra-capacitor. It is clever what they have done, no matter how you slice it.
40 if you’re lucky. A?C will make it worse. Turning on the heater will make it much worse. Hills will make it worse.
Expect 25 miles or so in real life.