The Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid entered production in 2010.
General Motors began building factory-produced Volts at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant during 2010. The first factory-built example appeared on March 31 for production-line testing and quality control, while regular series production began later that year. GM held a ceremony for the first Volt to leave the assembly line on November 30, 2010.
The Volt was introduced as an extended-range electric vehicle. Its electric motor drove the wheels, while a gasoline engine could generate electricity after the battery’s usable charge was depleted. That design helped distinguish it from conventional hybrids and made the Volt an important early modern plug-in vehicle.
A common mix-up is confusing production with customer deliveries. U.S. retail deliveries began in December 2010, and the car was marketed as a 2011 model year vehicle. Thus, 2010 is the production year, even though most customers received their cars at the end of 2010 or afterward.