Chevrolet Volt (overhead view)

It's an especially important year for bogged-down automakers who are trying to stem the flow of red ink while meeting the demand for more environmentally friendly vehicles.

Although General Motors hopes to shock the world with its Volt, company executive Lutz said the bold styling of its concept design, left, isn't in the stars.

"I know we cannot make the production car look like the concept," he said at the Geneva Auto show Tuesday, according to Reuters. "The whole shape of the car is going to have to be a little more traditional."

The Volt has a running range of 40 city miles after a 6-hour charge from a household electrical outlet.