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You guys who are complaining it's not cheap enough or it doesn't go far enough are completely missing the point.
When GM abandoned the EV-1 to focus on more profitable SUV's they allowed the Japanese to spearhead hybrid car development. Had they followed a more long-term goal then perhaps Toyota and the Prius wouldn't be the world leaders in Hybrid technology today.
GM is doing it RIGHT this time around with the Volt. The Volt was never intended to take the market by storm, selling in numbers that would threaten mainstream cars. A 10k car sales goal is minuscule in the car world, but it's what is necessary to develop the product for future iterations. The Volt powertrain, and all the systems that entails are a whole leap ahead of current hybrid tech. It isn't trying to compete with e the Prius now, or even in the future, its' intended to leapfrog the Prius.
Bob Lutz called it GM's "moonshot."
Quote from a car forum I'm on...
Because of Volt development, and early-adopter real-world testing, GM (and by extension, the USA) is becoming an industry leader in all things EV, from batteries, to charging and all the systems surrounding it.
The Prius had big incentives in the beginning to. Hundreds (thousands?) of industries reap tax benefits from certain purchase or endeavors. The next-generation Volt will be cheaper, and better in every way and gradually become a viable mainstream buy.
Be glad it's an American company, with it's own Government's support, spearheading this development. This isn't a Left vs. Right issue, it's about American company being a world leader in emerging technology. But this stuff isn't invented overnight, nor cheaply.
Why do folks guffaw at all the efforts to make fuel efficient cars, like electrics, when it is clear that oil is increasingly volatile?
Well get it to go more than 30-40 miles before it needs to be charged.
Get charging stations every 30 miles on all the roads..quick charge, like 10-15 minutes.
I don't understand the mentality of hating on this, I really don't. Do people really not think that our Gov't should invest money in making a US Company a world leader in EV development? Really?!?! Compared to what we spend to bomb, then rebuild other countries (that hate us before and after we do so) it's PENNIES.
I don't understand the mentality of hating on this, I really don't. Do people really not think that our Gov't should invest money in making a US Company a world leader in EV development? Really?!?! Compared to what we spend to bomb, then rebuild other countries (that hate us before and after we do so) it's PENNIES.
How short sighted.
Short sighted is looking to the government to develope or subsidize anything for the open market consumption.
Free market is all about a need being identified and private money being spent to develope and bring a new product to market ro remain competitive or excell in a segmant.
All of this taxpayer money being funneled into car companies and things like Solyndra is completely at odds with either a free market society OR a society proclaiming at the top of it's lungs it's non-socialist!
If I bought a Nissan Leaf (100% elec) and then I could buy a Yamaha or Honda generator and convert it to natural gas (natural gas is really cheap now and will remain so for the foreseeable future) I could charge the Leaf with natural gas!
C) Most people drive more than 40 miles at one time.
In case you don't understand, electric has a cost too.
Ok, I do have to end one misconception apparently. It has well more then a 40 mile range.
Its 40 miles on electric, then the gasoline engine kicks in.
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Do people really not think that our Gov't should invest money in making a US Company a world leader in EV development? Really?!?! Compared to what we spend to bomb, then rebuild other countries (that hate us before and after we do so) it's PENNIES.
