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Chevy Volt Vehicle Chief Engineer Andrew Farah takes the first pre-production Volt for a drive earlier today.


After all the spy pics and autoshow rollouts of the so-called Chevrolet Volt, you might have thought you'd already seen the real deal. More than once probably.


But until today, the closest thing to a Volt that General Motors had unveiled to the masses was a mule - the not-so-flattering reference of an autobody married to a powertrain and other systems that aren't Volt-like at all.


The images you see here are an entirely different matter. They are, in fact, the very first photos of the pre-production Volt gasoline-electric extended-range hybrid.


What you see here is what some of you will get, with the exception of a few chiefly cosmetic items such as light clusters that designers and/or engineers are still tinkering with.


And somewhat remarkably - given all the turmoil GM has been through lately - the vehicle was completed a week ahead of schedule. That's right: GM had a July 4th deadline for the pre-production Volt.


Andrew Farah, the Volt's chief engineer, took the time to write about his personal goal of driving the vehicle. His words, posted on GM's Fastlane blog, are worth a read.


Farah plugs in the first pre-production Volt after completing a test-drive.


The first pre-production Volt is fitted with a lithium-ion battery pack at GM's Pre-Production Operations building in Warren, Michigan, earlier today.

Tags: Batteries, Chevrolet, Emissions, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Chevrolet Volt, Extended Range, General Motors Corp., Hybrid, Hybrid Batteries

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General Motors Releases Photos of First Actual Running Prototype of Chevrolet Volt was originally published by Green Car Advisor. Read the full story by clicking here.