Chevrolet began production of the Volt plug-in hybrid in 2010.
The Chevrolet Volt entered production in late 2010 as a range-extended electric vehicle. Its traction battery powered an electric motor, while a gasoline engine could generate electricity after the usable battery charge was depleted. This arrangement gave the Volt a different operating concept from a conventional hybrid.
The car was developed during a period of rapid interest in electrification and was sold as a 2011 model. Chevrolet marketed its ability to complete many daily journeys using electricity while retaining gasoline-supported range for longer trips.
The Volt is often confused with the fully electric Chevrolet Bolt EV, which arrived later and had no gasoline engine. The Volt’s name also differed from Chevrolet’s older use of “volt” as a general electrical term: it was a specific plug-in vehicle line produced in two generations before ending production in 2019.