The Chevy Volt is obviously going to be an important car for GM; now the company is looking to clarify a couple of details regarding the car's powertrain, Engadget reports. In particular, the clarifications have to do with the charging system.

Many people around the Web believe that the Chevy Volt is primarily an electric vehicle, and that it will use its gas engine simply to charge the batteries on occasion—similar to a submarine, and in contrast to a conventional hybrid like the Prius, which drives mostly (but not always) using the gas engine and is just augmented by the electric engine.

GM said in the report that while it's true the Volt's gas engine will kick in to charge the batteries when they're low, and that the gas engine isn't connected to the wheels, it's not capable of fully charging the Volt's batteries. Instead, it will only help maintain a 30 percent charge so that you can keep driving. For a full charge, and completely silent operation, you'll need to plug the Volt in overnight in the garage. (Don't ask us how people who parallel-park their cars in NYC are going to pull that one off.)