General Motors says it's "nailed the lithium-ion battery technology" at the heart of the Chevrolet Volt and is consistently achieving a range of 40 miles in road tests on pure electric power, thereby clearing a big hurdle to getting the car built by 2010, according to Autopia. Company Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said in the report that GM is road-testing the gas-electric hybrid drivetrain at its Milford Proving Grounds and "it is reliably meeting its objectives."

Lutz said that the next challenge is smoothly integrating the battery drivetrain and the gasoline engine: "Unlike a conventional hybrid like the Toyota Prius, which uses a gasoline engine to drive the wheels, the Volt will be driven entirely by electricity. The engine will drive a generator that will charge the batteries." The company has previously stated that its goal is to build an electric car with a range of 640 miles. By the way, don't worry about the styling—that's a 2003 Chevy Malibu being used as a test mule for the Volt's drivetrain, not the actual upcoming Volt.