Really? GM’s hoping to position its upcoming Volt as the sportier alternative to green rides like the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius. That seems a little odd to us, especially since the Volt has something up its government-owned sleeves its Japanese competition can’t boast. General Motors hybrid only operates off of electric power. At no point does the small gasoline motor ever put ponies to the pavement. While that would seem like a great marketing angle to us, evidently The General has something else in mind.

Instead of highlighting what must have been the innumerable hurdles the company had to overcome to bring the car to market and the sheer technological innovation involved, Chief Engineer Andrew Farah said the car will likely be advertised as a sporty, green alternative. OK. Sporty usually denotes something that’s quick off the line and faster through the corners – something that a hefty battery pack can’t possibly help. [Source: Autoblog]