@176:

1. GM won’t be able to produce many of them for the first few years because, like the Ford Escape Hybrid, GM will need to artificially limit the supply of the vehicle to keep their loss-per-vehicle down to manageable levels.

2. GM will likely sell a hundred thousand units before they expect to see some positive cash flow from this venture. If they don’t see it after a few years, the program will crash and burn.

3. Range will extend over time (if the program catches on and GM can see some profit from it), but keep in mind, the batteries are cutting edge and are outrageously expensive. The US really needs to invest in massive battery manufacturing domestically. That will cut our dependence on foreign energy, provide us with a vast amount of batteries for transportation, and offer thousands of new jobs. Just think of all the billions of dollars being poured into the hands of people overseas, and take that money and put it right into the hands of American workers (who also are consumers of their own products).

I don’t expect to see 200+ mile AER serial hybrids for many years. I think during my lifetime, we will be settled at around 20 to 80 mile AER hybrids, unless oil peaks and gas skyrockets to $10/gal very soon.