Since the Chevy Volt was introduced to the public at the North American International Auto Show earlier this year, it has already received favorable comments from the automotive circle. It is of course not a surprise considering that the Volt is one good looking car with fuel efficiency better than vehicles with the Stillen cold air intake. And recently, the “electric car with range extender” received another feather for its cap. The most recent distinction given to the Volt is the 2007 North American Specialty Concept of the Year and the Most Significant Concept Vehicle of the Year. The citations were given to the Chevy Volt at the sixth annual North American Concept Vehicle of the Year.

The award was given to the Chevy Volt in an awarding ceremony held at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan. The awarding ceremony was organized by the South East Automotive Media Organization. The awards were given to vehicles which auto journalists think will shape the future of the auto industry. The Chevy Volt of course perfectly fits that bill.

During the awarding ceremony, Bob Boniface, director for General Motors advanced design received the award on behalf of the car manufacturer. General Motors is understandably elated with the distinctions. “We appreciate this recognition from such a prestigious group of automotive journalists,” said Boniface after receiving the award for the cutting-edge Chevy Volt. “The Volt is an important vehicle for GM and for the world. Whether your concern is energy security, CO2 emissions or reducing our dependence on oil, it all leads to energy diversity. GM wants to be a part of the solution, that’s why we designed the Chevrolet Volt concept.”

The Chevy Volt is technically a plug-in hybrid vehicle although General Motors has gone to great length to avoid the use of the term. Just like a Nissan header pipe is called an extractor in Australia, General Motors believes that the Volt should not be called a hybrid due to the perceived dominance of Asian carmakers in the hybrid market.

The Volt is designed to have a battery pack that will be able to power the vehicle for up to 40 miles or more. The battery pack is designed to be recharged by connecting the vehicle to the power grid. Simply put, the Volt can be recharged using a common household socket. This plug-in capability means that a Volt driven only over short distances can actually run on pure electric power everyday. Cool eh?