The Chicago Auto Show is coming right up, it will be open to the public from February 12 – 21. Chevrolet will continue its push for its all electric Chevy Volt, and will feature it at the show. The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in range-extended electric car with an on-board gasoline generator. It has a large battery that stores power from your home electric outlet and which is connected to an electric motor. The electric motor directly propels the car, and Volt is designed to drive up to 40 miles on electricity without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the Volt’s lithium-ion battery is depleted, an engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the total driving range to about 300 miles.

The driver will be able to set the charging schedule inside the vehicle or remotely, based on time of day or cost. And the Volt even has audio and visual cues to alert the driver when the car powers on, off and when charging is activated. For eager buyers, GM has committed to begin mass production of the 4-door, 4-passenger Volt in November 2010, as a 2011 model year.