[truthguy]

And this car isn’t even an “electric.”

Your ignorance is staggering. Of course it's an electric. The Volt is ALWAYS powered by an electric motor. The ICE only provides electricity for this motor. This is a completely different concept than the typical hybrid like the Toyota Prius. The car is an EREV. That stands for Extended Range Electric Vehicle. So to say it isn't an electric is beyond belief. It's NOT an a BEV which stands for Battery Electric Vehicle. That would be a vehicle like the Nissan Leaf. The Leaf has no ICE. But the Leaf has a range of only 100 miles (in good weather & conditions). You need to go to GM-Volt.com and learn a little more about EREV before making stupid posts.

[nicollo]

Although I enjoy being called "staggering," you are, truly, freaking out. Of course the Volt is a hybrid: as an electric, it's basically useless. Just because the gasoline motor isn't connected to the drive train (goes to generator), doesn't mean it doesn't rely on the gasoline engine. Calling it an E-REV is a distinction without a difference. Instead of recognizing that, you're kicking around that term as if it's some magical property that makes this car a messiah. E-REV is just a made-up SAE category to save GM's butt by not having to call this thing what it is, a hybrid.

So riddle me this: how can an electric have an mpg rating? GM wants it to be an electric for the subsidies and a gasoline for the mgp ratings to be included in the overall CAFE totals. (See here for a Motor Trend discussion of this issue from last year.) It's a political problem involving hundreds of millions in incentives, tax breaks, and CAFE penalties.

And, btw, your claim that users of this car won't use much gasoline is ridiculous. I'll ask this of others, and not you: just how many miles do you put on your car on, say, a weekend day, or one of those days that you gotta get around on errands, to dinner, to visit friends, and not just a basic commuter day? Me, I keep to a straight 25 mile commute maybe twice a week, which is why I put well over 300 miles a week on my "commuter car." The idea that people only drive 40 miles a day is inane: even if they drive, say 24 miles in a single day, doesn't mean they won't need to drive 120 miles the next day. On average, Ameircans put 15,000 miles a year on their cars: that's gonna press that gasoline motor quite a bit.

This car can't manage one of the key benefits of the gasoline engine, potential and flexibility in use. And the only way it'll come close to it is by relying on its little gasoline engine. (Heh! just think, when the power grid is down, you can plug your home fridge into the car! -- so long as you have a full tank of gas...)

Meanwhile, here's a chill pill for ya, a true, pure electric:

and it could go 60+ miles on a single charge!