Right.

People in other countries have paid 4-10 dollars a gallon for a long time. Maybe we should just suck it all up and deal with the rising cost of transportation.

What return has the US gov’t gotten for it’s investments?

I think the CA laws requiring a small precentage of the CA fleet to include EVs was a good step forward. Yeah it’s going to be expensive but in the long run it would pay off.

The gov’t has had to mandate most of the big leaps in what we consumers are able to buy from the automakers. It was the gov’t that required pollution controls, seat belts, bumper requirements, lighting requirements, airbag requirements.

At the same time the safety nannies have had to educate the public as to why these features are important to the public. It still took a while. More than once I remember family cutting seatbelts out of their new 1970s cars b/c honestly, who wears these things anyhow?

Seems like if the gov’t or the imports didn’t raise the bar on the big 3 the consumer would still be buying 1963 Galaxie 500s with no pollution controls, no belts and no brakes… VBG!

I think the Asians will once again set the standard for the next generation of automobiles with a round of full EVs with 75 mile range. They’ll likely be the size and style of the Honda Jazz or the Toyota Aygo. Wouldn’t be surprised if GM responds with some hulking monster of a vehicle that also goes 75 miles per charge but lasts half as long and requires twice the electricity to do the job. They would have something to brag about – hauling something that alrge around with batteries but once again they would miss the point of using fewer resources.

Don’t believe me? Compare the Insight, the Prius and what GM has chosen to hybridize – huge SUVs and medium size SUVs. No thanks GM.

So what? The US Goverment via its military subsidiary does the same thing. An since when is sensible Government investment a pejorative?

But don’t forget the toaster!

I wouldn’t worry about. Six months after it’s out, the $76,000 factory cash back and 0% financing, bundled with a free GMAC mortgage and a toaster will make it a steal.

Planning is not their forte.

No, the Volt was introduced in January of 2007 (NAIAS Detroit). http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/01/07/detroit-auto-show-its-here-gms-plug-in-hybrid-is-the-chevy-v/

I know it only seems like two months ago, but…

If you really think Chevy will try to charge $48K for the Volt then you’re just plain crazy. Bob Lutz is stirring the CAFE pot by pointing out that those costs will be passed on to the consumer. Call it scare tactics.

Why so much cash for this thing?

Well for one it is a unique body… Unique interior… Maybe it has a unique chassis…

I figure they’ll build it, sell 2000 of them and pronounce it a failure and complain that Americans just don’t want a plug-in hybrid (while mumbling “at those prices”). Wait a year or two and some Asian car company will release the same basic idea at a more reasonable price and sell hundreds of thousands recieving much acclaim.

Otherwise GM will continue to be a laughingstock.

It looks like GM is taking the worse predictions of that Toyota President who expressed skepticism and making him look like an optimist.

Next Volt great news: Battery warranty and cost? I bet 6 year warranty with $20k replacement cost to consumers.

SNAFU at GM.

Now Lutz envisions selling hundreds of thousands of Volts a year, probably priced below $30,000. Detroit’s horsepower jockey insists the Volt will be his crowning achievement—and his swan song. “This is like JFK’s call for the moon shot,” he says. “I want to stick around to see the Volt come to market. Then I’ll pack it in around 80.” And ride off into the sunset on electric power.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/81580

There is no way they’ll try to sell the Volt for $48k. My prediction: $39,995, but with some sort of government incentives.

Still, you can buy a hell of a lot of gas for the price difference between a $25k Prius and a $35k Volt.

Hey stuff like this does lead to JOBS (high paying)and a successful economy.

Think about it, in the last 30 years Toyota has continously done wonders with whatever economic aide the Japanese government has provided to them. In the same time period our domestic automakers have squandered BILLIONS upon BILLIONS of hard earned dollars on acquistions and projects that have amounted to squawt!

Back in the 1980s Ford and GM did not need any government assistance. They had a shitload of cash in the bank. THEY were the target that Toyota was aiming at. They used to be the giants that other needed help to compete with.
We all know the rest of the story.

IRONY: IF the Doemstics spent all of there R&D cash on making the BEST SUVs in the world and Japan adn Co. spent their R&D cash developing hybrids and other efficient modern cars how come Toyota and Nissan are capable of ALSO making totally competitive SUVs today?

Just dust off the plans for the old Saturn EV1 and put it back into production. The 50-70mi of range with the Ni-MH batteries is more than enough for most folks to go about their daily business.

A $25k electric car NOW is worth far more than a $50-60k electric Edsel at some point in the future.