Last week, GM unveiled the production version of its highly anticipated Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid vehicle, generating buzz in the press and on the internet.  But while journalists attending the reveal were allowed to photograph the Volt's exterior and interior, they didn't get to see it move much.  A GM executive drove the car down a catwalk at about 3 miles per hour - leaving many questions as to whether or not the car on display had a fully functional version of the Volt's innovative powertrain, which should allow the car to travel at highway speed under battery power alone, using gasoline only to recharge its batteries.

Now, video has surfaced showing the Volt in motion - but not answering many of our questions.

The enthusiast website GM-Volt.com hosts the clip, but says up front the Volt in the video "isn't a real Volt with E-Flex drivetrain, just the production model with a low speed electric motor." 

Autoblog Green at least likes the look of the car in motion.  "While it was truly wonderful to be able to see the car poised upon its pedestal after months of impatiently waiting and then sitting back and discussing things like whether this version will look better in a showroom than the original concept, it's quite another to see it in its natural environment, rolling down the road," they write. 

Watch the video at your own risk, however.  Jalopnik wasn't able to watch, commenting "the music became too annoying to bear any longer." GM's PR people are apparently big Coldplay fans.

The movie raises as many questions as it answers, however.  Why is GM bothering to show us video of the car moving along, driven by a powertrain it won't feature when it hits showrooms?  The General might be better off waiting until the Volt's E-FLEX system is functional before inviting viewers to see the car drive.

But the GM PR blitz around the Volt apparently won't slow down just because the car isn't functional yet.  GM-Volt.com notes in another post that Chris Paine, director of the film "Who Killed the Electric Car" has been invited to drive the Volt mule, and has now been now been seen around GM offices "filming interviews for a sequel to his movie, to be called something along the lines of ‘Who Saved the Electric Car'."  

For GM's sake, we hope the Volt is ready on time.  The answer to Paine's question might well be GM, but it could just as easily be Nissan, Honda or even Chrysler.

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