Vehicles are joining new hybrids on the road.

The Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid that can be charged using residential electrical outlets, has a battery range of 64 kilometers. Like the Fisker Karma, it is a series hybrid, meaning that an electric motor alone turns the car’s wheels; when the internal-combustion engine is in use, it drives a generator connected to the motor. Other hybrids have parallel designs, in which both the electric motor and the combustion engine are connected mechanically to the wheels.

Product: Chevrolet Volt

Cost: $41,000 ­Availability: December 2010

Source: www.chevrolet.com

Company: General Motors