A little investigation shows the Volt goes 40 miles on its battery; the gas engine drives the generator that powers the motor and recharges the battery to give it a range of 300 miles on the first tank of gas. Then refill the tank and go until your bladder bursts, refill the gas tank again and go miles and miles and miles. The Volt is NOT limited to short range trips. The new crossover MPV5 will offer similar performance, slightly degraded because it hauls 5 people and has much more cargo space.

I Love Mr. Bean :)