Why is GM acting like this thing is so revolutionary? There have been electric cars around for years (Tesla, Electric Smart cars). The only difference is that the Volt is supposed to be a bit cheaper (I think), but it's not like the underlying tech is that much different from what other companies have been using for a while.
@Steve B This is a different class of vehicle than the cars you mentioned. Those are EVs (electric vehicles). This is a PHEV(plug-in HYBRID electric vehicle). Those other cars you mentioned are also either more expensive or not highway-capable. Let's compare apples to apples. Also, in the PHEV category, this car you can actually buy as a consumer(rather than only for company fleets) and has a lot better EV mode mileage than the 2010 Prius PHEV(40 miles vs 12 miles).
Actually the underlying tech is completely different. This car has a gas engine which the Tesla etc don't have. Which means a lot more work has to go into it to pair the two systems successfully than having only an electric motor.
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Why is GM acting like this thing is so revolutionary? There have been electric cars around for years (Tesla, Electric Smart cars). The only difference is that the Volt is supposed to be a bit cheaper (I think), but it's not like the underlying tech is that much different from what other companies have been using for a while.
@Steve B
This is a different class of vehicle than the cars you mentioned. Those are EVs (electric vehicles). This is a PHEV(plug-in HYBRID electric vehicle). Those other cars you mentioned are also either more expensive or not highway-capable. Let's compare apples to apples. Also, in the PHEV category, this car you can actually buy as a consumer(rather than only for company fleets) and has a lot better EV mode mileage than the 2010 Prius PHEV(40 miles vs 12 miles).
@Steve B
Actually the underlying tech is completely different. This car has a gas engine which the Tesla etc don't have. Which means a lot more work has to go into it to pair the two systems successfully than having only an electric motor.