President Barack Obama got his first chance [2] to sit behind the wheel of a production-ready Chevy Volt [3] during a visit to Compact Power's new plant in Holland, Mich. yesterday. The facility will manufacture battery packs for the vehicle, as well as the forthcoming Ford Focus EV. The President was there promoting the green jobs highlights of the 2009 Recovery Act, which provided part of the funding for the new Compact Power plant.

It's only natural that Obama would want to get behind the wheel of the Volt being that his administration plans to buy the first 100 to come off the assembly line. In March, the White House announced [4] that it would purchase 5,000 hybrids (including the 100 Chevy Volts [3]) for the federal fleet.

After briefly sitting in the car and checking out its interior with Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, Obama got out, gestured toward the vehicle and said "I'm telling you guys, I recommend 'em." Not exactly a blurb for a magazine advertisement, but good publicity nonetheless.