This weekend's big technology event in Washington was General Motors' introduction of the Chevrolet Volt concept car. The Volt is designed as a "plug-in" hybrid, which means that you can recharge the car's batteries from a household power outlet. There's also an engine on board to keep the battery charged when you exceed its 40-mile range. According to a GM spokesperson, most people commute far less than 40 miles per day, so for them there'd rarely be a need to use the E85 powered engine.

The three-cylinder turbocharged engine beneath the car's hood, which runs on a fuel made with 85% ethanol, actually only runs a 53-kilowatt generator, and that, in turn, charges the batteries and runs the car. The result is a car that can use its 13 gallons of fuel to go up to 640 miles, or nearly 50 miles per gallon. GM claims that this is the longest range of any passenger car available in the US.

Inside the car is a maze of technology. The vehicle itself is controlled by a number of networked computers (I couldn't find out the exact number). There's also a docking area for personal electronics, a multifunction display and electronic ink switches that are actually printed on to the overhead glass roof.

Check out a slide show of the Volt here.

The Volt looks more like an Italian supercar than a hybrid economy car. Its designer is the legendary Bob Boniface, who is also in charge of the design of the production version of the car. Of course, the Volt that was on display in Washington will look somewhat different both inside and outside than the eventual production car. However, Boniface told me that it's his goal to make the appearance as close to the concept as possible.

No word on how the lawmakers liked the Volt, but the invited press appeared to love it. More impressive, however, were the hoards of Washingtonians that went out of their way to look at (and maybe drool over) this display of automotive technology.

Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to drive this car (although Boniface said it is drivable) or even sit in it. I did get to open the doors and look inside, though. I was impressed by the design, although some touches, such as the binary code embedded in the steering wheel hub, were a little over the top. Fortunately, if you see the car for real, that at least will be replaced by an airbag.

Otherwise, this looks like a roomy, four-door sedan disguised as a sports car. Assuming the car is delivered in 2010 as promised, we'll all get to see if the technology is as cool as the car's looks.