I’ve talk to a few so-called environmentalists who are against the plug-in hybrid. “Where do you think the electricity comes from?” is their rhetorical question. The problem with them is that they don’t realize about things like efficiency. Even in gasoline engines there is an efficiency factor that can’t be denied. A typical lawn mower may use less gasoline per hour than a typical car, but in that single hour it produces the equivalent emissions of a 350 mile drive in a typical new car. [Reference: EPA] In the same way, even a coal-fired electric plant could power more cars with less polution than gasoline engines. A fuel cell is more appealing, but the technology is too far off. We need to start getting into electric vehicles now and move to the fuel cell when that technology is ready. In the mean time, mass production and competition will introduce better batteries and more efficient electric engines.

It looks like the Volt will be the first one to make it into production, but I could be wrong about that. I’m ready to buy one right now, and I would if it were available. My daily commute is around 8 miles with an additional 16 for nights I go out shopping, to church, to eat, etc. With the Volt I would rarely have to use the internal gasoline generator. I would absolutely never buy a GM vehicle unless it was something this progressive. I just wish they’d step up the timeline some. Every time there is some new press (this time photos leaked) on this I’m more anxious than before.