Fuel economy: Mileage estimate not available at time of publication

Chevrolet aims to change the way we think about "green" cars with the introduction of its Volt sedan late this year. The Volt is an electric car capable of going supposedly up to 40 miles on a charge with a gasoline engine that kicks in only when the battery power runs down to about 30 percent. The combination of gasoline and battery power gives the Volt a range of about 340 miles on a full tank.

Because most Americans commute less than 40 miles per day, Chevrolet's theory is that Volt owners won't use the gasoline engine for most trips and instead plug the Volt into a standard wall outlet to charge the car fully in six to 10 hours. Chevrolet estimates that the cost to charge the four-seater will be about 80 cents per day on national average, using less electricity than the typical refrigerator.

Initially, Chevrolet Volts will be sold in select states, but Chevrolet says the Volt will be sold in all 50 states by early 2011. Exact pricing has yet to be announced, but Chevrolet estimates the Volt will have a starting MSRP of about $40,000 and will qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit.