Read about it here:

http://gm-volt.com/2008/10/03/along-with-wall-street-bailout-plug-in-...

For all the critics out there that think this is a horrible idea, take
a step back and think of how much talent and investment went into
making the electric car a reality.  Research & Development is
extremely costly and by rewarding consumers with a tax break is a
great idea to start enthusiasm among people for a new product.

As a comparison:

Volt: ($35,000 - $7,500 in tax credits)
Range / Efficiency - 8 kWh / 40 miles (before gasoline starts, going
to and from work this should be sufficient)
Cost - $0.08 / kWh
Yearly mileage you drive - 20,000 mi (Assume 4000 mi you have the
gasoline engine on @ 25 mpg)
Gasoline Consumption - 160 gallons
Gasoline Cost - $4 / gallon
Total yearly cost - $256 (Electricity) + $640 (Gasoline) = $896 / yr

Toyota Camry Hybrid: ($26,000)
Range / Efficiency - 34 mpg
Yearly mileage you drive - 20,000 mi
Gasoline Consumption - 588 gallons
Gasoline Cost - $4 / gallon
Total yearly cost - $2352 / yr

A person will save $1456 / yr in fuel by driving a volt as opposed to
a toyota hybrid.  Assume you keep the car for 100k mi / 5 yrs and your
savings have more than paid for the difference ($7280 in total
savings).

GM / Chevy isn't going to die, but maybe for the few out there that
are heavily bullheaded / arrogant, I'm sure they can find a way to try
and discredit the amount of fantastic engineering work that went into
building this car.  As with any product, the first models are more
expensive than the subsequent ones (like hybrids in their infant
stages).

This car is a key to unlocking a greener economy / world.  Yes, some
power is still generated by coal (albeit the emissions are much less
as a multi-million dollar operation has more sophisticated emissions
controls on their stacks than what someone has on their tailpipe), but
it's also generated by hydro-electric (water falling on turbine
drivers), wind, and nuclear.  If the power grid gets stretched (people
are likely to plug their car in at home during the night - lots of
available power then), then that will encourage additional
development / infrastructure.  All is left then is to determine how
society would like to generate it - my preference is for nuclear
energy - toxic waste is produced in small quantities and stored safely
for a huge electrical generation capacity, just ask France.

Yet another hand out from the government to try and prop GM up so they
can be competitive!  What a bunch of losers!

I'd like to see you try and design an electric car if you're so
critical.  Wait, let's go baby steps first, are you still relying on
your teenager to program your vcr?  Maybe you should get that one
figured out and then go and get your highschool diploma cause you
obviously can't comprehend the above numbers I presented or actually
read the article that I posted.  Here, I'll take a direct quote, you
still with me here or am I typing too fast?

"This provision provides a tax credit for buyers of plug-in electric
vehicles. It provides a base of $2500 plus an additional $417 per kwh
for batteries greater than 4 kwh"

Chevy / GM have just pioneered this technology, with a tax credit
incentive, maybe the foreign car companies will play catchup now (did
you understand the part where there is no GM / Chevy restriction and
that tax credit is open to any automotive company?)

Maybe if you left your parents basement and got outside a little more
you'd realize that there are many bright individuals that have worked
hard and are able to produce amazing products in your own backyard.

Gearhead,
I'm with you on this project. GM, Chrysler are both looking at
introducing electric cars and I'm sure Toyota has a plug in hybrid too
in the works. Oil purchased oversea is  killing our economy and trying
different options sounds good to me. Those that complain with no
solutions are just background noise.

Gearhead, when you knothead Volt afficionados plug this vehicle in,
how does the electricity get produced that's used for recharging?  The
last time I looked, the majority was produced by coal which is choking
out atmosphere and killing us all!   Where exactly is the gain.  We
rape the environment for oil or choke the crap out of our next
generations for plug in vehicles?

Coal is going to fade rapidly with heavy tax disincentives and
incentives that favor Solar/Hydro/Geo and I expect we will also build
at least some new Nuclear plants.  Nuclear isn't popular, but it's
better than the coal alternative and will help get us off the Oil
(blood) coming out of the Middle East that's drained our treasure and
severly weakened our national defense.  And there are certainly
cleaner sources like Natural Gas, which we have as much of as Coal and
I plan to invest in those companies like CHK and XTO, for example, who
will be profiting from that trend.  In China, Natural Gas conversions
are being done by the millions for their cars and there are investment
opportunities there too with SNEN and CHNG.

Watch Denmark and Israel.  An Island nation and a virutal island
nation as examples where electric vehicles are about to revolutionize
the market in a couple of years.  You can only drive so far and both
countries are happy to avoid oil based energy use.  It's going to take
longer in the USA and Natural Gas may be an option, but I expect we'll
drag out the oil consuming gas hogs for some time with electrics with
better battery technology taking some time.

Hydrogen?  Maybe.  That's an entirely different infrastructure that
would have to be built whereas the electric grid already exists and
will only need some bolstering, so I think electricity is going to be
the vehicular energy currency of the few decades and the focus will be
on just what you mentioned...cleaner sources for our electricity that
powers our homes, businesses and soon, our vehicles.

Happy investing!  Or smoking.  :)

Agree with you completely in that nuclear is wonderful for our future
generations!  Will leave the environment in terrific shape.

Have you taken a look at how quickly China is bringing coal fired
plants on line?   Of course the intelligent answer to this is that it
doesn't matter to us because the U.S. environment won't be affected by
China - especially with all our windmills blowing their pollutants
away!

In case you haven't noticed electricity is getting more and more
expensive as well.

These alternatives are all needed however, it is very short sighted to
suggest that the VOLT is revolutionary and a game changer for GM. It's
simply not.

"Volt: ($35,000 - $7,500 in tax credits) "

In your dreams