Chevy brings electric Volt to Canada

GM's new Chevrolet Volt is finally making its way into the hands of Canadian motorists.

GM Canada president Kevin Williams released the first customer shipments of the vehicle in Canada at a ceremony in Oshawa, Ont. on Thursday.

The Volt's retail price in Canada starts at a manufacturer's recommended $41,545.

Other shipments of the battery-powered vehicle with an onboard gasoline-powered generator are going to dealerships in Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, Ottawa-Gatineau and Quebec City.

The Volt has an advertised range of 40 to 80 kilometres on battery alone before the generator kicks in to extend the vehicle's range to 500 kilometres.

The Volt joins an already established lineup of hybrid-electric vehicles offered by a number of manufacturers, including the well-known Toyota Prius.

Meanwhile, Nissan Canada has begun selling its completely battery-powered Leaf passenger car to fleet customers here and started taking reservations from Canadian consumers in late August.