Chevy Volt:

We've been hearing for years that GM was going to release a new electric vehicle, one that wouldn't require any gas to operate. The time appears to have arrived when we finally have confirmation that the Chevy Volt is nearing production in 2010. GM could use a lift when it comes to automobile sales since their share of the market has been slipping year after year to Toyota. The Toyota Prius is the current winner when it comes to gas conservation vehicles as the Prius boasts mileage above 50 MPG. The Chevy Volt will be an "extended range electric vehicle" per the GM website and it should be able to handle most peoples daily commutes without needing gasoline. The range for the Volt is going to be around 40 miles on one charge. The lithium ion battery will be the main source of power but you can also use regular gasoline or E85 ethanol to drive on while the battery is being recharged. Sounds to good to be true, right? Can you imagine paying nothing for gasoline and owning a vehicle that potentially has zero emissions. That's what Chevy is selling us on at this point and when the concept car becomes a reality I'm sure 1000's will line up to buy one.

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Even if the price per gallon of gas comes down to a reasonable level like $3 a gallon, it's still worth buying a car that has zero cost associated with driving it (minimal price to power it up on electricity). You simply plug the car into a regular 110-volt household outlet and let it charge up. That's pennies versus dollars when you have to use gasoline instead. The real question is whether the battery pack can hold a steady and consistent charge so the Volt can cruise down the highway like any other car. Obviously, GM has a lot more testing to do on the vehicle and perhaps even add some improvements to the car before its release. The top speed is listed as close to 120 MPH which is amazing and probably not necessary. A full charge of the battery will take roughly 10 hours which GM says can be done at night in your garage. It would be nice to know that the charging time could be done in 5 hours or less. For an unofficial site of the Volt, take a look HERE. The site is informational with details on price, a gallery of photos, and a forum with discussion on the car by enthusiasts. Another site with Chevy Volt wallpaper images ready for download is at Chevy-volt.net. The excitement is behind this vehicle at this point and only time will tell us if GM can keep the momentum going.

Volt vs Prius:

Will the Chevy Volt take down the Toyota Prius in 2010 or 2011 when it's available to the public. If you do the simple math behind the gas versus no gas equation it works out in favor of the Prius. Take the Prius which sells for around $25,000 and say the average person drives 12,000 miles per year. At 45 miles per gallon, the Prius would need 267 gallons over a year which works out to about $1000/year in gas ($3.75 per gallon). If the Chevy Volt really is priced at $40,000 you would have to own the car 16 years to see any benefit over the Prius. Even if gas were double that at $7.50 per gallon, you would still not see the finally returns on a Volt for over 7 years. Most people don't keep their car that long and by then the technology could be even greater on the Prius so that it's mileage increases dramatically as well. I certainly hope that with competition from other electric car manufacturers that the Volt comes down in price to say $30,000 which would make it a great choice moving forward. Another problem could be the extended range of the Volt versus a hybrid like the Prius. Anyone who wants to drive a distance beyond say 200 miles would most certainly go with the Prius versus the Volt which may have a limited range (depending on the gas tank size). The good news is that car makers are aiming towards cars that use less and less fuel so our dependence on oil will decrease in the next few decades. I for one can't wait for a cheap electric vehicle to be produced so I can use it around town. I work from home and certainly only need a gas vehicle for longer drives, but 90% of my daily routine could be done using no gasoline if an electric car existed.

Price of Vehicle:

The one issue has been the price of the car that originally was slated as being close to $30,000 but is now getting closer to $40,000+. Will the average American even consider a car that is close to $40K even if it will eliminate their need to put gas in the tank. The premium on the price may keep the Volt from becoming a mainstream alternative to fuel efficient compact and mid-size vehicles. If you can buy a car for $20,000 that gets 35 MPG why would you spend the extra $20,000 to save on gas. It would take years to recoup that $20,000 extra for the Volt which most people will not do.

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