A whole herd of intriguing small cars is on the horizon.

2011 Chevy Volt

On sale: Fall 2010

So much has been written about the 2011 Chevrolet Volt that you'd be forgiven if you thought it went on sale sometime last year, even though it doesn't hit dealerships until this fall. To recap, the Volt promises to introduce a new way to move cars from point A to point B by using an innovative electric propulsion system that can be recharged either overnight using a standard home outlet, or by an on-board gasoline engine. The battery pack can operate on its own for about 40 miles on a full charge, after which the gas engine kicks in to generate electricity for the car's electric motivation. Chevy calls it an EREV, for Extended Range Electric Vehicle, but most people call it a plug-in hybrid. Prices will start somewhere in the $30,000 range depending on if you want to include government subsidies or not. We're just surprised that after all the hype, we're still excited to drive one.