WASHINGTON: General Motors Tuesday unveiled its electric car, the Volt, from its Detroit headquarters on the company's 100th anniversary.

The Volt has a battery-powered electric motor that runs the car for up to 65 kilometres.

A gasoline-powered engine generates electricity to replenish the battery, giving the car hundreds of additional miles, GM said in a statement.

"Revealing the production version of the Chevy Volt is a great way to open our second century," said GM chairman Rick Wagoner, adding the car responded "to today's and tomorrow's energy and environmental challenges."

The Volt can be charged in eight hours with a standard household 120 voltage outlet or three hours with a 240 voltage outlet.

GM estimates the Volt will cost about two cents per mile to drive with battery power, compared to 12 cents per mile with gasoline priced at US$3.60 per gallon.

The car also boasts of one of the most aerodynamic designs of any car in GM's history, according to the statement. Other features include a touch-sensitive infotainment centre and Bluetooth connectivity for a cell phone and music streaming.

The car has a maximum speed of about 160 kilometres an hour.

Production of the Volt in the US should begin in 2010.

The company has not officially announced a price for the car, but it is expected to cost more than US$30,000.

The Volt is part of a trend in the US automobile industry to move towards smaller, more environmentally-friendly cars as customers abandon large and gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicles.

The company currently has five "hybrid" cars on the market, which run on electric power and automatically switch to a diesel engine when the battery runs low.

- AFP/yb