DETROIT -- General Motors wants the gasoline-electric Chevrolet Volt on the road by 2010 so badly that program managers have been given a blank check.

They can get as much manpower and resources as they need.

"The Volt is the No. 1 priority project we have at GM. There are no resource shortfalls," said Frank Weber, Volt global vehicle line executive. "Whatever it takes, we will do. We are working with incredible speed."

Speaking today to reporters at an event to update the Volt's progress, Weber said GM aims to have the innovative gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid in Chevrolet showrooms by November 2010. He also said that engineers are on track to reach the Volt's goal of driving the first 40 miles on electric power alone.

But, Weber said, those won't be full-speed highway miles. Instead, the Volt should be able to reach 40 miles of electric-only range in city and highway driving.

Other managers working on the Volt's systems echoed Weber's comments about how quickly GM brass wants the Volt ready for production. Denise Gray, director of the Volt's hybrid energy storage systems, says GM vice chairman Bob Lutz is working with the Volt team to ensure the car hits its development targets.

"He's calling on me and asking what I need," she said.

Bob Boniface, the Volt's design director, said the message from Lutz to the Volt's engineers and designers is this: Don't slow the program down by asking for approval at critical junctures. Trust your instincts and do the right thing.

GM's inside glimpse at the Volt showed the car is making quick progress:

• Batteries: Testing to simulate 10 years and 150,000-miles of usage is going on around the clock in labs in Detroit and Germany. GM says the lithium ion test batteries from two suppliers are performing well. But the batteries are one item that could be a show-stopper. They have to run cool. GM has developed cooling and monitoring systems to detect any problems early.

• Powertrain: It has changed dramatically since the Volt concept car debuted at the 2007 Detroit auto show. Instead of a separate gasoline engine and electric motor, both are mated together and look like a conventional front-wheel drive powertrain. The electric motor and generator are housed where the automatic transmission would be.

• Styling: The production version will not look like the concept car. It's morphed into a fairly conventional looking four-door sedan with a sloping roof and a high rear-end treatment that has a built-in spoiler. The interior features a twin-cockpit look that is not unlike the current Chevrolet Malibu.

The goal is to be able to build the Volt on the same production line as regular versions of GM's next-generation Delta platform cars.