Size doesn't matter at this General Motors Co. assembly plant. Rolling down the line in Hamtramck, Michigan, one after the other, are full-sized Buick and Cadillac sedans and, from time to time, a compact Chevrolet. The odd car out is the plug-in hybrid 2011 Volt.
"Part of the whole planning cycle was to build the Volt into the process and maintain flexibility so that we didn't have a specific process or specific assembly line for the Volt," says George Dandalides, the Chevrolet Volt's launch manager.
There are only a handful of differences in the assembly process between the plug-in hybrid Volt and what might be called the conventional models assembled at the plant: the 2011 Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS sedans.
The Volt is propelled by a battery-powered electric motor for up to 40 miles. If the lithium ion battery runs low, a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine kicks in to recharge the battery, extending the car's total range to more than 300 miles.
Sales begin in October or November. Chevy expects to sell 10,000 in 2011 and 30,000 the next year.
The Volt was designed with the Hamtramck plant in mind. The plant required only minor changes. For example, the assembly line's carriers were modified to handle the Volt's smaller body.
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