First of all I confess, I am part of the problem.
- I own an SUV and it wasn’t made in Detroit. (Land Rover Discovery)
- I own a small car made in Japan (Subaru Impreza)
However I also have a car made in the US (Chevy Malibu)

Although NONE of these cars make the green list I am here and for the first time I see the possibility of an electric car that could work for me.

First of all the truck really only pulls my camper and otherwise is parked a lot so really doesn’t use very much gas at all. I commute in the Chevy and my wife in the Subaru.

The reasons I have never considered electrics until now are simple but completely underscores Martin’s support of the Volt.

Point 1, Although either of our (to the office) commutes is well within the range of an electric, the “one-off” days over 60 km (40 miles) of driving happen in my world at least 3 times a week.

Point 2, It’s Minus 10c today here in Calgary, I can’t help but think that running a heater is going to affect driving distance.

Point 3, There is simply no way in hell I can afford a $100k USD car. So the Tesla which would likely have the range I need (And although I’m a huge Lotus fan) is out. As well a two seater car would simply not get used as we are driving kids to activities all over the place.

My average driving each year is closer to 40000 km, so an extender in not optional.

This leaves the Volt or the Prius as possible “green” alternatives to our aging mini-fleet of cars. I don’t like the way the Prius looks, so am not interested. In my world an AWD volt would be a winner. I think a FWD one has a very real shot too although once you have had a Subaru in the winter it’s just plain hard to beat.

I don’t think I’m an unusual case, I have life commitments and need to fulfill those. The winning technology is one that is efficient, easy to use and affordable.

The $40k target is very close to what I call good, I do not want a stripped out basic car For the same money I can get a MB C Class with AWD.

I love the technology, I grew up in a Chevy family, and I really do like my old Malibu.

Please Chevrolet don’t screw this up.

GM killed the electric car because it didn’t want California to force it to make no-emission vehicles when huge profits could be made on gas guzzling HUMMERs. (It bought HUMMER the year it killed the electric car.)

GM made it’s choice 10 years ago. It bet on big gas guzzlers. It may be too late to change its mind.

We have to stop blaming car companies guys…GM sells SUVS, but so does Toyota, and every other car company out there. They sell what people buy. If Americans had shown an interest in more fuel efficient cars 50 years ago, that’s what they would have given us, but in most surveys, Americans (present company excluded obviously) still choose more horsepower over more fuel efficiency.

Everyone has to remember, there is NO such thing as an earth friendly car company. Even the electric cars need batteries, which are built in battery factories, which pollute….a great deal. Every car company on the planet has the EXACT same goal….SELL MORE CARS.

“GM talks the talk while they build giant SUVs and try to change our addiction from petro to their new investment, ethanol which is a stop-gap to their final goal which is to addict us to H2.

I’m beginning to believe that the volt is a red harring to shut us up while they promote E-85. I really would like to be very wrong on this one, but I smell fish.”

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Anything is possible. The distrust of GM is unfortunately warranted. One thing to remember is that GM forced no one at gunpoint to buy those Huge SUVs. Toyota, Honda etc would make as many as they could possibly sell, they just don’t happen to be as good at it as GM. I’m sure that GM wishes it didn’t have the UAW and a competitive labor disadvantage that would make them more competitive at the smaller vehicle end.

I don’t see any distrust vis-a-vis E85, because we’re not going to go all electric overnight. Fool sells are another issue, and while he won’t outright trash them Lutz did put them dead last in an interview I read.

I believe that GM has about 1 chance to get this right, and they know it.