President Barack Obama checks out the Chevrolet Volt for the first time

President Barack Obama stands alongside Chevrolet Volt

During his trip to Holland, Michigan for the groundbreaking ceremony for a battery plant being built there by a U.S. unit of South Korea’s LG Chem, President Barack Obama got his first exposure and seat time with the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

Click here for more news on the Chevrolet Volt.

Compact Power, a subsidiary of LG Chem, will be producing battery cells for the Chevrolet Volt, which goes on sale later this year in California, the Washington, D.C. area, Michigan, New York, Austin and Texas.

The Volt battery pack will be assembled in Brownstown Township, Mich., and shipped to the Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant for the final assembly of the Volt. Chevrolet announced Wednesday the Volt battery will have a standard eight-year, 100,000 mile warranty.

Click here to read our first drive impressions of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

Refresher: The 2011 Chevrolet Volt is powered by 16-kWh, “T”-shaped lithium-ion battery that powers the electric drive unit, which allows it to drive 40 miles on battery power alone. According to GM”s preliminary specs, the system puts out 150-hp and a maximum torque of 273 lb-ft, allowing the Volt to go from 0-60 mph in about 9 seconds, hitting a top speed of 100 mph. The battery can be re-charged by plugging into a household outlet and takes less than 3 hours to recharge on 240 volts, and about 8 hours on a standard 120-volt outlet. The Chevrolet Volt also carries a 1.4 4-clyinder engine that allows the five-door, FWD sedan to travel additional miles while averaging a fuel-economy of 50 mpg. A fully charged battery and full tank of gas will allow the Volt to travel 300 miles.

First Drive: 2011 Chevrolet Volt:

All Photos Copyright © 2010 Omar Rana ““ egmCarTech.

– By: Omar Rana