Stop the bailout! stop the bailout! The best shot is the Volt??? Holy carp. A car that can only handle a 20 mile commute (heaven forbid there's any traffic congestion) and your boss who cuts HIS budget by NOT letting you plug in your car at work to recharge on HIS dime? Can you imagine the traffic nightmares in LA if even 0.5% suffer a power fail (500 out of every 100k cars, pro'ly failure to charge and / or battery fail)? Actually, your safety distance would be 15 miles out, then 15 miles back home since you couldn't count on getting a charge while at work plus you would have to leave a safety margin.
Look, if Congress wants to flush money down the toilet I'd be glad to take my share and put it to better use than GM seems prepared to do.
That's not how the Volt is designed to work. There's a lot of misinformation that the Volt will only go a short distance before needing to be plugged in.
Chevy Volt:
Unlike conventional hybrids, the Volt is designed to operate its propulsion system entirely on electric power. Assuming a full-charge is present, this electric power will initially be sourced exclusively from its on-board Lithium Ion batteries for up to 40 miles, a distance capable of satisfying the daily commute of 75% of Americans, which averages around 33 miles.
After 40 miles, the range of the Volt will need to be extended through the use of a small 4-cyl internal combustion engine which drives a 53 kW generator. This arrangement creates a sustaining charge current to the HV batteries and permits them to continue powering the 111 kW electric drive motor. This effectively extends the Volt's potential range to as much as 640 miles on a single tank of fuel. and which could be potentially extended for longer trips through conventional refueling).
I read (or heard?) that Honda has a battery-only 100 mile/charge model ready to announce. Haven't had confirmation that it's fact....but I wouldn't doubt it.