Chevy Volt
Most people are still a little skeptical about a car that has to be plugged in periodically.The Chevy Volt is a new electric car, that, according to GM, will be released somewhere around November 1, 2010. This car has a back up plan for when you can’t find a plug. After a complete charge, which will take you about forty miles, a gasoline engine kicks in that will take you several hundred more miles on a tank of gas.Technically, it runs on electricity from a charged battery, and then, electricity produced by a small amount of gasoline that powers it‘s generator. The gasoline doesn’t power the vehicle, just the generator, so it is truly electric. It is also capable of using biofuels. This insures that people who are a little skeptical about totally battery operated cars will have somewhat the best of both worlds, and still maintain low emissions.An onboard monitoring system allows the driver to check on how much longer it will take to charge the car, or how long until the car needs to be recharged. The same devise will control the door locks or activate a remote starter.It is estimated that the Volt uses about 2500 kwh annually, which puts the cost to the owner at about $1.00 a day to charge it. It is also recommended that the owner charge the car at off peak hours, to insure greater savings.Designers are anticipating that those buying the Volt will be commuters who drive less than 40 miles back and forth to work. If this is the case, at a cost of $1.00 or less to charge it daily, the savings would be exceptional. According to GM, the Volt could save the driver over $900 a year, since they would presumably be using 500 gallons less gas.There is nothing technical about charging the Volt, since it plugs into a standard 110 or 220 outlet. With the 110, it takes about 8 hours to charge, and with 220, considerably less.While all car manufacturers have the same ultimate goal of producing a vehicle that is affordable, it’s common knowledge and economics that new technology costs. So far, there doesn’t seem to be a definite price put on this extraordinary car, however, past estimates have ranged anywhere from $30,000, which is pretty farfetched, to somewhere between $40,000 and $50,000.So, like everything else that will eventually save you money down the road, it will probably cost you a lot initially.
