Voltage

The Chevy Volt has done three things that are somewhat amazing for me: 1.) It makes me want a Hybrid, real bad, 2.) It makes me want a GM PRODUCT real bad, and the biggest one - breaking a personal cardinal rule - 3.) it makes me want a brand new vehicle. See, I'll admit it, I'm a car geek. I can rattle off horsepower and displacement numbers for anything built between 1962 and 1971. I love horsepower almost as much as I love my bikes. Seriously.

Volt, however, is a game changer on a level which I never previously realized. At first glance I went "eh, whatever, big deal - another hybrid" - I personally don't dig hybrids because, simply, the batteries are an environmental disaster waiting to happen - and most can achieve the same thing by just buying a small, small car - but I digress. Then I read about the thing and realized - wow, GM got it. This car is always powered by it's electric motors - the gas motor is only there as a generator for when the charge runs out. Other hybrids act completely opposite - the electric motor supplements the gas motor, which turns a tiny gas motor into something with some uumph and that gets great mileage.

Then it hit me - 40 miles on a charge. A charge acquired by plugging the thing in to your electric outlet. A charge that will cost you around a quarter in off-peak energy. For me, there's rarely - very rarely - a day when I drive more than 40 miles - heck, most WEEKS I don't drive more than 40 miles. Let's put it this way, for me, one of these things might mean weeks, or months without using a drop of petroleum products for my driving. Suddenly, that appeals to me. Big time.

Of course, this is GM and as such they have to screw it up somehow - and that somehow is price. This thing is goona be starting at forty grand, forty grand for a glorified Cavalier. Uggh, I get it guys, but if you made the thing 20, or even 25 grand you'd sell 'em as fast as you can make 'em - which might be the problem right there. Maybe they figure there's enough folks out there who will pay 40 grand for the first round of 'em (they're absolutely right, I know I'm not the only one who remembers the first round of Prius buyers who were paying $10k OVER sticker just to get one - which is right up there at 40k in today dollars), they'll be able to pay off development costs and ramp up production (helloo Prius).

Anyway, I can't blame them at all, and when this thing comes into reach of mere mortals, I hope they sell a ton of 'em. This, and the Honda FCX Clarity (which is Hydrogen powered, and also a complete game-changer of vehicles that need to be.. uhh.. filled, and for those who travel over 40 miles) are making me really like the future. I hope these are more signs of what are to come, and that things such as the Escalade ESV are on their way out.