By Evan Ackerman
Your favorite mostly realistic eco-friendly concept car, the Chevy Volt, was supposed to (as of the LA Auto Show) be released in 2010 for somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000. I’m shocked, shocked I tell you, to have to report that it’s now (still nearly 3 years away from a late 2010 arrival) looking like it’ll be closer to $35,000. According to General Motors, the problem is that when you throw in stuff like headlights, windshield wipers, and a 10 speaker (!) stereo system, it all starts to suck battery away from the wheels, and your mileage, well, tanks. In order to solve the problem, GM is going to not really solve the problem, and just install “redundant systems” (which I can only imagine will be separate batteries) to power all the non-engine electronics. Expect the problem to be solved for real on the second generation Volt.
I can’t reiterate enough how impressed I am with the effort that Chevy is putting into the Volt, and their commitment to affordability and a realistic availability schedule. But the key is going to be keeping those promises, or else consumers are going to lose confidence in the practical nature of electric cars. Meantime, take another look at the Aptera…
VIA [ Wired ]
