 In 2009 , the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry said that " GM is at least one generation behind Toyota on advanced , “ green ” powertrain development . In an attempt to leapfrog Toyota , GM has devoted significant resources to the Chevy Volt . " and that " while the Chevy Volt holds promise , it is currently projected to be much more expensive than its gasoline @-@ fueled peers and will likely need substantial reductions in manufacturing cost in order to become commercially viable . " A 2009 Carnegie Mellon University study found that a PHEV @-@ 40 will be less cost effective than a HEV or a PHEV @-@ 7 in all of the scenarios considered , due to the cost and weight of the battery . Jon Lauckner , a Vice President at General Motors , responded that the study did not consider the inconvenience of a 7 miles ( 11 km ) electric range and that the study 's cost estimate of US $ 1 @,@ 000 per kWh for the Volt 's battery pack was " many hundreds of dollars per kilowatt hour higher " than what it costs to make today . " 
