A panel of experts from government, research, the media and General Motors itself all agreed that the Chevy Volt is really all about image, AutoWeek reports. The panel, speaking after the Volt's launch event at GM headquarters in Detroit, said that in essence, the presence of the Volt in GM's lineup could change the minds of consumers, Wall Street investors and others. Of course, there's a subtext to that.

GM even went so far as to invite Chris Paine, the director of Who Killed the Electric Car?, to the panel, which shows that the company is serious about turning around its image in terms of the environment. At the same time, the Volt is going to be a low-volume car, at least if it's priced in the $45k range that's increasingly becoming a target of analyst speculation. Could the Volt push aside the supercar (the Dodge Viper, the Acura NSX, etc.) and usher in a new era of environmentally friendly halo vehicles?