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I don’t really know many people who have not looked up GM’s Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle and what it might be able to offer. And it seems that most people have two key concerns. The potential price of the, which appears to be climbing and may be closer to $40,000 than to $30,000 and the tiny range of just 65 km – about 40 miles. 40 miles would make the Volt a car almost useless for a typical use. You may make it to work or the grocery store and back, but you may have to take another car for...

"The eyes of the world are now on the Volt," McCain said at a meeting... McCain: Electric car 'vital' to oil independence (AP) At GM plant, McCain calls for an electric vehicle tax credit Los Angeles Times, CA - 4 hours ago Trying to inject hope into a struggling auto industry, he says a $5000 credit should be given to consumers who buy cars like the Chevy Volt, now a prototype ... McCain Talks with GM workers Washington Post, United States - 2 hours ago By Juliet Eilperin WARREN, Mich.--Speaking to a group of General Motors Corp. employees, Sen. John...

WARREN, Mich., July 18 (Reuters) - Republican White House hopeful John McCain told embattled GM employees on Friday he backs their development of an electric car and said Americans should be able to receive $5,000 tax credits to buy them. Battered by a deepening slump in sales and concerns about whether it can ride out an economic downturn, General Motors Corp. (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is counting on the Volt to break its reliance on gas-guzzling vehicles at a time when truck sales are tumbling and fuel prices are near record levels. McCain celebrated the electric plug-in Volt during a...

In the wake of an economic downturn, General Motors Corp is hurrying production of its Chevy Volt. It now hopes to unveil a showroom-ready model in September, according to sources close to the project.

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp is rushing to finish the production version of its Chevy Volt and plans to unveil a showroom-ready model of the heavily touted electric car in September, people familiar with the project say.

What Is GM Thinking? "Violent change" in consumer tastes is not a new challenge for the car business. The phrase is Lee Iacocca's, from his autobiography, referring to public demand for small cars after the 1979 oil shock. Less violently, a sudden shift in taste for smaller, more fuel-efficient cars amid the recession of 1958 helped doom the Edsel. The 1950s also happen to be the last time GM's share price sank as low as $11 per share. Two morals must be drawn. One is that GM's ability to avoid bankruptcy has again become doubtful in the minds of investors....

The Chevy Volt will cost $30,000. No, $35,000. Alright, how about $40,000… GM Vice Chairman and product development chief Bob Lutz told the Seattle Times that "the first-generation Volt will retail for about $40,000 and generate no profit for GM." The Times adds, "The company hopes to make money as it rolls out later versions of the vehicle and other plug-in models." This follows assurances from CEO Rick Wagoner back in May that the Volt would make its target price of $30,000, and could sell for even less. Car Domain, after sharing dinner with Lutz and other GM executives, reports...

WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) - General Motors Corp said on Tuesday its all-electric Chevrolet Volt was on track for a launch in 2010 after the company's board approved funding for production of the high-profile plug-in vehicle. ...Unlike gas-electric hybrids such as the Prius, which run on a system that twins battery power and a combustion engine, the Volt will be powered entirely by an electric motor and have a battery that can be charged through an ordinary power socket. The Volt's on-board engine will be used only to power the battery on longer trips, GM has said. GM is designing the...

”I did it to punish the rich white people of Orcas Island and make them pay for the death of the whales and the depletion of the rain forests” -Mondragon Gabriel Thomas Mondragon, 29 years old, who recently arrived from New Mexico, explained to Sheriff’s Deputies that in an attempt to make the people on Orcas “suffer just like the whales and trees”, he attempted to use a tree limbing saw -on a metal pole- to cut through a 69,000 volt power line. According to the sheriff’s report, the man, identified as Gabriel Mondragon, also stated he wanted to protest...

Duke Energy and smart grid company GridPoint said on Thursday that they have found a way for people to charge plug-in hybrid cars in a way that won't bring the power grid to its knees. "If suddenly you have 20,000 or 30,000 rechargeable cars--with maybe 50,000 in a few years--plugging into the grid at night, utilities have to react to that or you'll have serious problems," Lewis said in an October interview. "You see plug-in hybrids becoming a big issue; it's a tidal wave coming at utilities."

TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan (Reuters) - General Motors Corp. will begin road testing its Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid in the spring of next year and remains on track to produce the rechargeable car by late 2010, a senior executive said on Thursday. As the race to bring a mass-market, rechargeable electric vehicle to the market heats up, GM's global product chief Bob Lutz said he expects to have next-generation lithium-ion battery packs ready for the vehicles by October this year. "We should have the battery packs by October," he said, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an industry conference. "We'll...

A North Attleboro man faces financial ruin because he built a new home so close to dangerous high-voltage transmission lines that fluorescent bulbs inside the house light up without even being plugged in. The electric currents running through the two-story home are considered so potentially harmful that the town’s fire department has strung “caution” tape around the house while an electrical inspector has refused to issue a final permit out of fear someone might get electrocuted. The home’s metallic door knobs and exterior shingles give off mild electric jolts when touched, while flowing currents are strong enough to light up...