GM taking orders for plug-in Volt

DETROIT, July 28 (UPI) -- U.S. automaker General Motors Co. said it was accepting orders for the electric plug-in Chevrolet Volt, its high-tech hybrid vehicle.

The company said the Volt goes 40 miles on batteries alone. After that, a gas-powered generator recharges the batteries as it drives.

GM said the Volt would be priced at $41,000, quickly adding buyers would be offered up to $7,500 with a federal tax credit, which aims to entice buyers into the modern world of alternative fuels.

A 36-month lease with a $2,500 down would put payments at about $350 a month, the company said in a statement.

GM announced the Volt has "approximately 340 miles of total range," which would place it in the critical category of being "your primary car," the company said.

Leaping on the car's status as the first long-range electrically-powered car ready for a mass market, vice president of U.S. marketing for GM Joel Ewanick said, "The Chevrolet Volt will be the best vehicle in its class … because its in a class by itself."

Consumers are likely to judge the car on its comparison to familiar gasoline-powered vehicles with known reliability, known expenses and a massive fuel distribution system already in place. The Volt, however, comes with a 120-volt charge cord and a 240-volt option, which will be provided for free for the first 4,400 buyers, including home installation, GM said.