General Motors is planning to rebadged its battery powered Chevrolet Volt as Vauxhall in the UK.

The report come from the Financial Times, which also said the Volt will be rebadged as an Opel in European markets.

Almost 37,000 people worldwide have already shown an interest in buying the electric powered Volt when it becomes available in 2010.

The figure doesn't come from General Motors but from New York neurologist and electric car enthusiast Lyle Dennis.

Dennis has a website - www.gm-volt.com - where prospective Volt buyers can register.

California, Florida, Michigan and Texas boast the highest number of interested buyers but the list also includes people from 46 countries outside the US.

There is a problem, though. The average price buyers are willing to pay for the Volt is $31,261 (£16,800). GM reckons it will cost about $40,000 (£21,430) to build the Volt which is equipped with a lithium-ion battery pack.

The Volt will run for 40 miles on a single charge and can be recharged at a standard power outlet. It will also capture energy from braking, like a conventional hybrid, and feature an on-board engine that will be used to power the battery on longer trips.

Chevrolet Volt