I'm not holding my breath on this one. I truly believe that American companies are being typically short-sighted as ever. Considering there is a six month waiting list for Toyota and Honda hybrids in my area, I would imagine that the company on the forefront of offering an electric car would have consumers beating down their door, especially as gas prices go higher and higher and people want less and less to be dependent on foreign oil. Further, I simply cannot believe that we have the technology to create a space station, but we cannot figure out a working electric battery for a typical commuter car.
The company that killed the electric car, at least according to the makers of a popular 2006 documentary film, intends to announce today that it's getting back into that business.
General Motors will unveil the Chevrolet Volt concept today in Detroit. While not a pure electric like the EV1 that GM leased to about 800 people from 1996 to 2004, the Volt relies on batteries and electric motors for nearly all of its propulsion. It can be charged at home using a household outlet and includes a tiny turbo-charged gasoline engine to help keep the batteries charged.
It's a concept rather than a working vehicle, and GM says the battery technology to make it happen is still three to five years away, but it's "not a science-fair project," said Jon Lauckner, the company's vice president of global program management. Read on...
