General Motors (GM) announced today that the new Chevy Volt electric car could get up to 230 miles per gallon (MPG) under new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for electric cars. (The EPA gave the Toyota Prius a 51 MPG rating, according to washingtonpost.com.)
The Volt, expected to launch in 2010 and cost around $40,000, is part of a new fleet of electric vehicles--coming from GM and other car companies--that some experts predict could make up 10 percent of car sales by 2013.
GM's Volt will allow a driver to go 40 miles on a lithium-ion battery, with range-extension beyond that fueled by gas or other fuels.
According to the handy Plug-in Vehicle Tracker on Plug-In America's Web site, only two electric cars are now widely available in the U.S.: Commuter Cars's tiny Tango T600 EV, a two-passenger commuter car that sells for about U.S. $108,000, and the Tesla Roadster, which also carries a $100,000-plus price tag. (Read more on the Green Guide Blog.)
Nissan Motor Co. responded to GM's Volt announcement today by saying the LEAF, Nissan's new all-electric plug-in hatchback, would get a 367 miles-per-gallon rating under the new EPA guidelines the Dow Jones Newswires reported.
Prototype electric cars have been around since the early 1900s, so why aren't electric cars on the road en masse now?
The cost of batteries, and their relatively short lifespan, as well as a lack of urgency to go gas free, according to experts. (Read more on NGM Blog Central.)
--Tasha Eichenseher
What Others Had to Say
Added by iPad on August 16, 2009
Not sure how many Volt's will sell. It has a very high price tag, it is in the range of a luxury car, only its more like a mid size economy car.
Most older people and people making a decent income won't buy the car and green minded people can't afford it. It is also not a good pick for people that commute more than 40 miles. The 40 mile number is also based on surface streets. Drive on the freeway and its even less miles to the charge.
The Toyota and Honda hybrids have sold, but those cars are not cost effective when you compare gas savings to just buying a Yaris or other cheap car. The Volt is really out there when it comes to the price tag.
I hope GM hasn't promised it's employees a bonus on sales.
Best of luck GM.
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Added by EcoTerra Enterprises on August 24, 2009
We should be more concerned about how the electricity to charge these cars is generated. In many places, it's most likely going to be coming from a coal fired power plant.
What we need to be promoting is PV panels on buildings before we push all-electric cars. If buildings could be supplying the energy to charge the cars while they are sitting in parking lots, it would have much more impact. Otherwise we are just trading one type of carbon emission for another.
Added by savvycollector on August 26, 2009
Lack of urgency for an electric car? Shall we say lack of persuasion to override the petroleum industry's strong lobby? "Who Killed the Electric Car" demonstrates that the demand for an electric car was present. However, dominion was not held by consumers clamoring for this form of transportation.
Added by The Window Man on November 10, 2009
I wish car manufacturers would focus on more of a "consumer" model car. This is pretty impressive; however, its price tag isn't for everyone.
"I am here to serve."
The Window Man
Added by teppy on February 12, 2010
Volt is powered by an electric motor, an innovative water pump and a battery pack with a 40-mile range. and as GM claims that they have developed a commercial car that gets 5 times the gas mileage of toyota models.
Added by Viru on May 7, 2010
The last sentance of this article is absolutely right. The 'lack of urgency' is why there are not a mass of electric cars on our roads today. From an environmental point of view there is a MASSIVE urgency for such cars to be on the roads - but unfortunatley, once again money is king. There is simply too much money to be made from gas by the corporate world and while the gas reserves are not going to run out for another 20 years or so, i fear this will not change anytime soon. This really gets me down!
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Added by Linda on June 2, 2010
Though this is a credit for those who care about environment, I feel there should be a proper negotiation in price in order to convince people. Good Job anyway!!
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Added by Fabio Dantas on June 12, 2010
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Added by james lee on June 21, 2010
This is so amazing how this car can go 230 MPG. I think everybody should get a car like this in the future. This would definitely drop the gas prices so fast. This would be good to see.
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