- Plug In America, known for its advocacy of electric vehicles
and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), applauds today's announcement by General Motors
to re-enter the race to create non-polluting vehicles with its next-generation
electric vehicle, the Chevrolet "Volt". Technically a serial
PHEV, the Volt will have a range of 40-miles per charge, but a total range
of 640 miles when supplemented by the small on-board generator. This combination
provides the exciting performance and environmental benefits of an electric
vehicle, better range than today's hybrids, all while using a fraction
of the gasoline.
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- GM once led the industry in electric drive technology
and zero-pollution vehicles; their decision to discontinue the EV1 program
and crush the popular vehicles, and subsequent decision to ignore hybrids
in favor of developing fuel cell technology has caused them to fall far
behind their Japanese competitors. In particular, Toyota's halo effect
from the Prius has been helping them close the gap on the number one automaker.
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- "This is the most intriguing move General Motors
has made in a decade," according to Chelsea Sexton, Executive Director
of PIA and a former GM EV1 employee whose story is featured in the 2006
documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" "It's a moonshot,
but that's exactly what GM needs if they're serious about reinvigorating
that company- and it's a very American value to embrace the underdog."
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- It should be noted that as recently as a year ago, no
major automaker would publicly acknowledge the current viability of electric
drive technology; today, GM is expected to be joined in its PHEV announcement
when Toyota and Ford unveil their own PHEVs. "To move an industry
is the ultimate example of what can be accomplished on a grassroots level"
said Sexton. "This is what's possible when consumers ask for what
they want, and refuse to settle for less." GM's announcement did not
confirm a date when we can see these vehicles in the showroom, and in order
to get the Volt from concept to showroom, consumers must keep asking. As
Sexton noted from Detroit, "Ultimately, we're going to judge all of
the automakers not on what they say, but what they do."
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- Plug In America advocates the use of plug-in cars,
trucks and SUVs powered by cleaner, cheaper, domestic electricity to reduce
our nation's dependence on petroleum and improve the global environment.
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