Maximiliano John Larroquette, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is Project Engineer Manager at General Motors

General Motors

General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...

 Global Design Center in Warren, Michigan

Warren, Michigan

Warren is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 2010 census places the city's population at 134,056, making Warren the largest city in Macomb County, the third largest city in Michigan, and Metro Detroit's largest suburb....

. He is responsible for the design of the Chevrolet Volt

Chevrolet Volt

The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufactured by General Motors. The Volt has been on sale in the U.S. market since mid-December 2010, and is the most fuel-efficient compact car sold in the United States, as rated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency...

, a battery-powered, four-passenger electric vehicle that uses a gas (petrol) engine to create additional electricity to extend its range. He has conducted several interviews for the media about how hybrid vehicle

Hybrid vehicle

A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles , which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.-Power:...

s fit into GM’s vision of the future, and has been the subject of profiles on his life as a GM engineer.

Early life

Maximiliano lived in Buenos Aires until he was 22, when he moved to Detroit. He attended Oakland University

Oakland University

Oakland University is a public university co-founded by Matilda Dodge Wilson and John A. Hannah whose campus is located in central Oakland County, Michigan, United States in the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills. It is the only major research university in Oakland County, from which OU...

 in Rochester, Michigan for his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...

. Maximiliano worked at Ford for two years before he began working at General Motors in 1999.

Early work

Before working on the Chevy Volt, this Lead Engineer and Product Manager worked on several concept cars, including the Pontiac REV, Chevrolet SS and Nomad, Saturn Curve

Saturn Curve

The Saturn Curve was a roadster concept by Saturn that was shown at the 2005 North American International Auto Show along with the concept of Saturn Sky....

, GMC Graphyte

GMC Graphyte Hybrid

The Graphyte Hybrid is a GMC Truck-branded concept car and sport utility vehicle from General Motors. It uses a two-mode hybrid system. The Graphyte's styling is intended to indicate the appearance of future GMC Truck vehicles, especially a crossover SUV General Motors plans to release in 2007 or...

, and the Jay Leno Chevy Deuce.