Chevy Volt: being environmentally sensitive at a price

$40,000 actually. That’s the list price for the coming Chevy Volt, a plug in hybrid that should be released next year. Wow, I just need to save up a lotta green to be ‘green’.

But you’ve got to admit, the lure 230 mpg packs punch when it comes to my weekly fill’er up.

I’ve seen a couple of analysis around the web on just how many miles it would take for me to ‘break even’ on the price of the Chevy Volt. Depending on inflation, and how stable the price of gas is over the next several years, guess-timates range from about 177,000 miles to 250,000 miles. The difference in price between a good, proven winner like a Honda Civic and the Volt, not to mention that ‘distinctive’ GM styling (Yikes ) makes it a no-brainer.

This car isn’t exactly ready for the masses.

I applaud GM’s attempt - a decade or two late and several billion dollars short - to pull itself up out of the ditch it’s been in since the 1970’s, but you might have hoped for more than this. Like the screamin’ turbo diesels that are already on the market in the U.K. and Europe with 40 to 60 mpg.

Somehow I think there was a meeting of the suits at GM headquarters about how to best appear to be deserving of a hoped for government bailout. The Volt is what they came up with. And, it looks like it was designed by a committee.

maven