GM’s upcoming Voltec drivetrain, as featured in the Chevrolet Volt, Opel Ampera and Cadillac Converj, will bring with it some exciting new possibilities when it debuts in 2010. Chief among these will be the ability to alter vehicle dynamics with nothing more than a simple software update.

Instead of waiting for a traditional mid-cycle-enhancement or model update to introduce changes, GM will be able to modify aspects of the Volt on the production line without the need to change tooling or parts suppliers.

GM engineers are also keen to reduce the size and weight of the Voltec battery pack for the second generation of this ground-breaking vehicle (for a US major manufacturer that is).

Instead of concentrating on an increased electric-only driving range for the plug-in hybrids, the considerable heft and expensive engineering of the batteries will come under scrutiny. The aim, primarily, to make the Volt and its stable-mates a more profitable proposition in the future.