The U.S. Senate has passed a tax bill in a 93-2 vote that, if it becomes legislation, would include a tax credit for drivers who purchase a plug-in electric, like the much-hyped Chevrolet Volt.

The credit would open at the $2,500 level and would go as high as $7,500 for light-duty vehicles with battery capacity a defining factor in the credit amount.

In the bill's current form, the buyer of a Chevrolet Volt would be eligible for the $7,500, an inducement much coveted by General Motors which is working on having their plug-in on showroom floors in America in 2010 and in Europe in 2011.

The Volt, which would have a range of 40 miles on electric power alone, will also be outfitted with a small internal combustion engine. Although no final price details have been announced, General Motors has said the price tag could be close to $40,000, making a sizable tax credit all the more attractive.

Sentiment is strong in Washington to pass a tax bill before the lawmakers break for the impending election, a fact that improves the bill's chances in the House of Representatives. Additionally, the White House has dropped objections to other provisions in the legislation.

Additional aspects of the proposed legislation would provide credits for the producers of wind energy and expanded exemptions from the alternative minimum tax.