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FIGURE 12.3 GM’s Advanced Propulsion Technology Strategy.

GM’s strategy incorporates the following key elements:

• Continue to improve conventional powertrains, recognizing
that gas engines, diesel engines, and transmissions will be the
principal propulsion systems for the foreseeable future.
• Develop alternative fuels, including biofuels blends such as
E85 ethanol and B20 biodiesel as well as synthetic fuels de -
rived from coal, natural gas, and/or biomass.
• Increased electrification of the automobile through expansion
of the hybrid portfolio, including plug-in hybrids, EV range
extenders, and ultimately, hydrogen fuel cells.

Chevrolet Volt: A New Automotive DNA
The latest example of GM’s intent to break the automobile’s depen-
dence on petroleum is the development of the electrically driven
Chevrolet Volt. According to former GM Chairman and CEO Rick
Wagoner, “We believe this is the biggest step yet in our industry’s
move away from our historic, virtually complete reliance on petro-
leum to power vehicles.”
Since its introduction at the 2007 North American International
Auto Show in Detroit, the Chevy Volt sedan, powered by GM’s Voltec
electric propulsion system, has energized car enthusiasts in the United
States and abroad with its potential to greatly reduce trips to the gas