The soon-to-be-released Chevy Volt electric car just might redefine the automotive world: It can go from 0 to 60 in less than nine seconds, hit a top speed of 100 miles per hour and is good for 40 miles of zero-emission, pure electric driving. National Geographic got a rare, behind-the-scenes look inside the preproduction factory for this revolutionary vehicle. At GM’s 200,000-square-foot facility outside of Detroit, Michigan—a place closely guarded for fear of industrial espionage—see what it takes to design, build, and assemble this car of the future. At this high-tech “Ultimate Factory”, 18,000 parts and 1,000 hours of aerodynamic testing come together to create the Volt. And, at the heart of this revolutionary design is a 6-foot long, 400-pound battery that GM hopes will usher in a new era of automobiles.
