The Chevrolet Volt electric car I drove in the UK recently, really took my fancy. Mostly because of the way it drives, and the fact that it provides 'worry-free' driving, writes Trish Whelan.
This car is special because it is powered by a 110kW electric drive unit and a range-extending 1.4, 86bhp petrol engine, unlike other electric cars. So this opens a new chapter in the history of electric motoring.
There will never be a manual version as it would be pointless and expensive.
The battery had been fully charged prior to us setting off for the return trip from Cambridge to the event centre at Milton Keynes, and there was plenty of petrol in the tank.
This is a very smart looking car from every angle, both inside and out. There's plenty of room for four in comfort - there are just four seats.
Press the Start button, select Drive on the transmission, let off the handbrake and the car silently moves away. You won't hear a sound at this stage.
My Volt, with automatic transmission, and 17-inch wheels, looked and felt like a premium sports saloon. It also proved to be a really good, satisfying drive. A heavy car, it was very responsive, cornered well and instant, maximum torque is available from the start - which makes an electric car fun to drive. There is almost seemless change from electric to engine power, and very little difference in performance. Volt is fast too, as it can do the 100km/h trip in 9.0 seconds.
The ride was a bit on the taut side but very comfortable and the car seemed just as happy on open country roads as it did when driving through the many towns and villages of the flat Cambridgeshire countryside.
The interior is stylishly suited to such a ground breaking car, with a pure white central console and gear lever as well high grade technical information.
Two colourful and stylish information screens provide all the information you require. The Information Centre on the driver's side takes a bit of getting used to as it replaces conventional instruments, there's so much information to hand, but you quickly get the hang of it. You get to see where the power is coming from - the battery or through the range extender engine, and also see how efficiently you are driving the car via the little ball on the right hand side which changes colour as it moves upwards when you use more power. It floats back down again when you drive economically and returns to green. Importantly for Ireland, you can change the digital display from mph to kmh - and the total mileage of the car also changes. 
The range depends on weather conditions and whether you are using up energy with lights, heating, or air conditioning, but it's from between 25-50 miles on the battery alone. The petrol engine - below the bonnet - then takes over extending the range to 300 miles. No matter what, the Volt will get you home as, if your journey is more than this, you can always fill up with petrol.
Four driving modes are offered: Normal, Sport, Mountain, and Hold to assist the driver in manoeuvring the car through a variety of driving situations. Naturally the Sport mode gives better performance and that's what I enjoyed the most. The Hold allows the driver preserve the full energy stored in the battery pack.
The standard 6m-long charging cable stows under the rear cargo floor. Using a conventional 240V/10A power outlet, you can fully recharge the battery in six hours.
Boot capacity is 310 litres with rear seats up, rising to 1005 litres with them folded down.
This cutting-edge electric car can certainly turn heads with its sleek upper body appearance, wide front and rear tracks, and flow-formed alloy wheels. Eight airbags are fitted as standard in the UK spec.
The standard 6m-long charging cable stows under the rear cargo floor. Using a conventional 240V/10A power outlet, you can fully recharge the battery in six hours.
Boot capacity is 310 litres with rear seats up, rising to 1005 litres with them folded down.
This cutting-edge electric car can certainly turn heads with its sleek upper body appearance, wide front and rear tracks, and flow-formed alloy wheels. Eight airbags are fitted as standard in the UK spec.
