The time is now for hybrid cars. With gas prices hitting new heights and truck and SUV sales in free fall, car companies are putting more money and effort into hybrid production and consumers are more open to purchasing alternative-fuel vehicles than ever before. With a ton of hype behind it, the GM Volt, hitting the market in 2010, could take hybrid cars to the next level.
To illustrate the demand for the Chevrolet Volt, a New York neurologist named Lyle Dennis has been creating a list of individuals who say they are interested in purchasing the car when it hits the market. Dennis recently reported that the list now contains over 33,000 prospective buyers (individuals can place their names on the list at Dennis’s GM Volt Web site). Though he is not an employee of GM, Dennis claims to have access to GM executives, with whom he shares his list to give them an idea of expected demand. But, rather than promoting GM, Dennis’s real purpose seems to be to promote electric cars. As he states on the Web site: “GM-Volt.com is more than just a place for information about the Chevy Volt. It is a place where like-minded people convene to not only discuss but help to empower and advance the impending electric car revolution.”
And though the tag “revolutionary” tends to get tossed around a lot in discussion of inventions, innovations and new technologies, Dennis’s “electric car revolution” may actually be on the brink of fruition. Recent political and economic issues have forced the automotive industry to look in new directions in a hurry. It is a reality even the car companies themselves cannot deny. As GM spokesman Dave Darovitz said, "I don't know if there is any other vehicle or any other technology that has generated this kind of interest because of the state of the market and gas prices. We know the demand is going to be there." Certainly, the Toyota Prius has illustrated there is a clamoring market for reasonably priced alternative-fuel vehicles. High gas prices have shot sales of the Prius through the roof (New York Times technology columnists David Pogue recently wrote that he wanted to buy a second one but the wait was 10 months). The four-door vehicle starts at $21,500 and combines a gasoline-fueled internal combustion engine with an electric motor. The result is higher fuel economy and lower emissions than average vehicles.
But GM states the Volt differs from the Prius in that it is not a hybrid but a full-on electric car. Hybrids (like the Prius) have small electric motors that move the car when it is going slowly, and gasoline motors that kick in at higher speeds. The Volt, on the other hand, uses a 161-horsepower electric engine to power the car at all times (allegedly capable of moving from 0 to 60 in 8.5 seconds with a top speed of at least 100 mph). The reason some people still consider the Volt a hybrid is that it will have a small gasoline engine in it to charge the battery pack when power gets low. But the gas-powered motor is not connected to the wheels - it is only to be used as a generator. The battery pack will be made from lithium ion and a full charge will allow the car to go for 40 miles. After that, the generator will kick in and the car will get about 50 miles per gallon (still way above the mpg of most traditional vehicles).
Though the Chevy Volt isn’t expected to be available until November 2010 (barring any delays), GM is already going out of its way to build buzz for the car. For example, the company recently broadcast a commercial for the vehicle (which won’t be on the market for another 2 years!) during the Summer Olympics. And, if Dennis’s list is any indication, the strategy may be paying off. A GM spokesman said that the automaker expected an initial shortage for the Volt, since they will begin selling the cars as they are produced from its Michigan plant. Still, if GM can manage to produce a sleek-looking car that can save exponentially on gas, and bring it in at a reasonable price (most estimates predict the Volt will cost around $40,000), the electric revolution may very well be on the road.
