Better late than never?
It looks like GM is planning to roll out a plug-in hybrid vehicle within the next three years.
GM is designing the highly-anticipated Volt to run 40 miles on battery power alone, reducing or even eliminating the need for drivers to fuel up an on-board gasoline-powered engine provided as a backup power source.
I’ve said before (but probably not here on the blog) that if I’m going to start making car payments again anytime soon, I want a car that I can use to do my daily driving entirely from batteries, since I don’t see PEM fuel cells being ready for prime time anytime soon.
40 miles would probably do it, unless there were lots of errands to run. (One problem with the town I live in is that nothing is located conveniently next to anything else!)
Toyota (if they can extend the range of their plug-in Prius using modern battery technology) may still beat them to the punch, but it’s nice to see GM figuring out that maybe - just maybe - giant SUVs are not the way of the future!
August 9th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Volt sounds like a new energy drink…
August 9th, 2007 at 10:54 pm
interesting. anything that gets us closer to energy independence is far more patriotic than any kind of jingoism some leaders would impose upon us.
August 10th, 2007 at 6:15 am
Have you read about the Fjord (no, it’s not a typo): http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2007/08/01/100138830/index.htm?postversion=2007073110
For a tech geek like yourself, it might be just up your alley.
August 10th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
JB:
I don’t think that the more rural parts of the country are going to pick up on the electric-only version anytime soon. City dwellers should love it.
But the hybrid that Dean Kaman wants to make sounds interesting:
… which would eliminate any range issues for those of us out in the sticks - where cow dung is easily found.
I can’t shake this image of “Mr. Fusion” from Back To The Future, though. Throw in some trash, and you’re ready to roll!