AutoblogGreen sat down for a chat with Dave Barthmuss of General Motors after the Chevy Volt reveal yesterday (Sunday) to answer some questions about GM's alternative fuel strategy and even the EV1. Dave is the Manager of Public Policy, Environment and Energy Communications (North America) and if you've seen the film "Who Killed the Electric Car?" you might remember Dave.

ABG: Dave, what is your role at GM?.

DB: Well I manage public policy, environment and energy issues at GM North America. So if it runs on gasoline and only gasoline I've got nothing to do with it.

ABG: So you focus on the alternative fuel vehicles?.

DB: Biofuels, hybrids, fuel cells, now the Chevy E-Flex system. Also, vehicle mandates.

ABG: From your perspective what's the driving force behind creating a vehicle like the Volt?

DB: It is a business necessity. We cannot rely 98 percent on any one single source of energy for our vehicles. Ninety-eight percent reliance on oil is not a good thing. You know geopolitical issues, calamities that could happen in the Gulf of Mexico, emergency security, what's going on in the Middle East has alerted us that if we want to supply the 88 percent of the world that does not have access to a car or truck for transportation, you need to do it in a way other than the way we're doing it right now. So we basically focus on two pathways to solve or to meet environment and energy issues, and make sure our business is healthy, moving forward long term. Those involve biofuels whether it's E85 ethanol or biodiesel or electricity. And electricity has many forms. It has hybrid vehicle technology, fuel cell vehicle technology and now what you'll learn about today on the E-Flex that's the ultimate when it comes to electrical architecture.

The interview is continued after the jump.

September 2008 Update: To see the production version of the Volt, click here.

For several months now rumors have been rampant about an electric vehicle that General Motors would unveil at the Detroit Auto Show. That vehicle is now real, in the form of the Chevrolet Volt. The Volt is the first vehicle application of the GM's new E-Flex platform. Volt is a C-Class sized four door sedan roughly the size of a Cobalt.

In spite of the presence of an internal combustion engine, GM does not call this vehicle a hybrid. In fact, they consider it an EV with range extending capability. The engine is a turbocharged, 1.0L three cylinder engine with 71 hp that has no mechanical connection to the wheels. The ICE runs at about 1800 rpm and drives a 53 kW generator that charges the lithium ion battery pack. The engine starts and stops automatically as needed to charge the battery.

All the detailed information you've been waiting for on the Volt is after the jump. Click on the photo above of the small images below to enter the high-resolution gallery with 27 pics.

The Chevy Volt leaks are getting stronger now. Check out this article from the Sunday Times (a UK newspaper with a January 7 date). The new tidbits they've revealed (without a picture, mind you):

• The Volt production model will be on sale at the end of the decade.
• The Chevrolet Volt is propelled only by the electric motor, and the ICE is there to recharge the batteries.
• The Volt's top speed is 120mph and it accelerates from 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds.
• After 40 miles of electric power-only movement, the gas engine is starts automatically and then runs at a constant speed as it recharges the batteries.
• GM estimates fuel consumption of 180 mpg equivalent, based on a 60-mile trip with fully charged batteries.
• The Volt will use GM's new E-Flex propulsion system, which can be adapted to use bioethanol fuel and will also be able to handle a diesel engine or a hydrogen fuel cell as the electricity generator.

That's a lot before the embargo lifts, but there's more to come. Trust us.

UPDATE: As promised, here's all the info you could ever want on the Volt, including pictures, specifications, and lots and lots of details.

[Source: The Sunday Times]