On Monday, GM Korea, the local unit of US automaker General Motors, said that it will roll out the next-generation Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid to the South Korean market next year.

The Volt was first launched in 2010 in the United States and later in the European market. Approximately 75,000 units of the model have been sold in the US market since its debut.

The Volt runs as a 100-percent battery-powered electric vehicle. It switches to an internal combustion engine until the battery drops to a certain level.

The second-generation Volt was unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show in January. It can alone travel for about 80 kilometers on a fully-charged battery. According to the company, its range-extending gasoline engine pushes the driving range to more than 650 kilometers.

GM Korea chief executive Sergio Rocha said, "Our goal is not just to keep up the electric car trend, but to lead it and that's why I am very pleased to officially announce the new generation Volt will be introduced in South Korea next year".

During a media event held on the sidelines of the International Electric Vehicle Symposium, Rocha said that Volt will be a gamechanger in the domestic market with its industry-leading electrification technology and outstanding features.

Although the car is not a pure battery-run car like as Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor Co.'s plug-in electric vehicle Leaf, it has been registered as an electric car with its range-extending technology by the company officials.

Larry T. Nitz, executive director of General Motors, said that the drive system next-generation Volt will be more electrically efficient.

GM Korea expects that the new Volt will play a crucial role in popularizing electric cars and reducing carbon emissions.