Note the limited release footnote. They are only bringing over 40 a month to the U.S.
So, you have no problem taking the tax credit, but begrudge GM for taking a the bail out? :dubious:
Mr. OP, you should put aside your feelings toward Chevy and seriously consider the Volt. For city driving it is functionally an electric vehicle – a tank of gas can last you months – but it doesn’t saddle you with the range anxiety of a Leaf. It’s an American company and they’ve produced the most practical electric vehicle going. Give them love for doing it.
For balance I’ll add that Volts are still not entirely practical since they’re subsidized by the government and reportedly sold at a major loss.
I would have loved to own one, but couldn’t quite afford it. Got a used Prius instead, and am happy about the car, the size of my car payment, and how little it costs to fill the tank. Still, it would have been nice to only visit a gas station 6 times a year (or if I was taking a road trip).
Yes, this. I have had my Volt about 6 months and it’s fantastic. My parents came to visit a few months ago and liked it so much they bought one for themselves when they got home.
I am a bit of a car snob, and a few years ago could not imagine driving anything other than BMWs and Porsches for the rest of my life, but the domestic auto manufacturers have really done a complete 180. The quality of the vehicles they are producing now is outstanding, in all respects: design, fit and finish, build quality, etc.
The Volt drives extremely well - it has nice, precise steering, and a very solid ride, and is of course totally smooth and quiet. When the generator turns on after ~35 miles or so, you can hear it and feel it slightly, but because the wheels are still driven by the electric motor, it still doesn’t drive like a typical economy car at all.
Your parents could definitely replace the Lexus with the Volt. Not having to worry about limited range makes a big difference. The Volt is an unrestricted, general purpose car, whereas the non-Tesla pure EVs are still sort of novelty items.
One thing to keep in mind is that any pure EV will lose range in the winter, because A) lithium-ion batteries lose capacity in cold weather, and B) heating the battery / cabin requires a lot of energy - even more than running the A/C in the summer. So, if you are looking at an EV with an advertised 80-mile range, that might drop to 60 in the winter, which means you are mostly limited to 50-mile trips to avoid risking getting stranded. That’s pretty limiting, and something you don’t have to worry about with the Volt.
With the Volt, you get the best of both worlds: the pleasure of driving a pure EV most of the time, but with the ability to drive as far as you need to.
My current lifetime average in the Volt is 160 mpg. It would be higher, but I keep taking it on highway trips instead of my SUV because I like to drive it so much.