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Struggling auto giant General Motors today revived its once-failed idea of a mass-market electric car, unveiling a new “concept” car called the Volt designed to use little or no gasoline. Introduced at the North American International Auto Show here, the Chevrolet Volt will draw power exclusively from a next-generation battery pack recharged by a small onboard engine – if the technology is ready in two or three years.

“We have a thoroughly studied concept, but further battery development will define the critical path to start of production,” said Jon Lauckner, a GM vice president for product development. The Volt is designed to run for 40 miles on pure electric power, making it marketable for everyday family use. For the average American driver who drives 40 miles a day, or 15 000 miles a year, the Volt will require no fuel and lead to an annual savings of 500 gallons of gasoline, GM said.

GM has been stung by criticism that it conspired to kill the EV1, an experimental electric vehicle program it launched in 1996 and killed by 2003. The documentary film “Who Killed the Electric Car?” released last year criticized GM for first developing but then abandoning electric vehicles.

GM said the Volt will have advantages over the defunct EV1, including smaller batteries, faster recharging, more room for passengers, and a faster maximum highway speed.

“For most drivers, the Volt will use little or no gasoline,” GM chief engineer Nick Zielinski told reporters.

Plug-in hybrids, a favorite among many environmentalists, are capable of being charged with a standard electric outlet, a feature GM said it would build into the Volt.

“We commend GM for being the first out of the starting gate in the great plug-in car race of 2007,” said Felix Kramer, who founded the non-profit group CalCars to spur automakers and regulators to push for mass-market electric car production.

Battery technology is key to the next generation of hybrid vehicles as automakers seek ways to lower the cost of batteries and increase their power and storage capacity.