That's a tough question, you might say. After all, we will still be relying on traditional gas-powered vehicles for many more years. Yet, that's not going to stop the folks at General Motors, especially those at the Chevrolet division, who entertain high hopes of seeing electric vehicles on the road in the near future. The Chevrolet Volt, which made a lot of headlines last summer, just went from a simple concept study to an actual prototype. Green car enthusiasts are understandably ecstatic.
What about you? Again, I ask you the question: will you be driving a car like the Volt when they will arrive on the market? Of course, it all depends on pricing. Initially, GM talked about a mass-production vehicle that could start around $30,000. However, if you ask me, it'll be closer to $35,000. For buyers, this price might seem a bit steep, although leasing could prove a more interesting alternative. Clearly, not everyone will be able to afford this car. Still, I want to keep my hopes up. My current lease contract will expire in exactly 27 months, which is all the more fitting since, if all goes as planned, GM is expected to launch the Chevrolet Volt in May 2010... or, in other words, 27 months from now. I would very much like to be among the first lucky ones to drive an electric car. What about you?
A car that suits my needs As a freelance writer and self-employed person, I sometimes have to get out of my house to attend meetings or special events, but more often than not, the commute is not very long -- less than 60 kilometers. The only other times where I use my car are to run errands (a few kilometers), go to the curling center (25 km, 4 times a week) or pick up my wife at the subway station (about 40 km). With the Volt, I would always run on electricity since the car offers a daily range of about 70 kilometers. All I would have to do is to plug the car into a 110-volt outlet and let it recharge for about six hours.