If the volt were not as expensive as a luxury car, I would be thinking about it, and if a Volt sold for $17K to $20K, I would consider it very seriously. There are quite a few things besides price that are probably show-stoppers, however, which include serviceability and the availability to charge the vehicle.
I would purchase a given vehicle if it met my needs, rather than because it was "green" or "cool", since I feel no urge at all to simply impress people.
One of my biggest concerns would be how it would survive the huge amounts of road salt that are applied to all roads in this part of Michigan every winter. The conditions are far worse than the US Navy salt spray test, and the amount of vehicular destruction that results is large. Any vehicle that could last more than 5 years under these conditions would be a good candidate. BUt, would you spend some $8000 for a new battery pack for a vehicle that might fail after another 2 or 3 years?
I certainly would NOT buy a Chevy VOLT, BUT I might buy a Ford "JOULE" or a Plymouth "AMPERE" or a Toyota "WATT". However, this vehicle would have to be able to travel on the U.S. highways & byways at least 600 miles in all weather conditions, whether 95º heat or 15º cold, with rain, snow, etc. Charging would have to be as simple AND quick as getting fuel is now, AND, when the batteries are permanently depleted, I should be able to go to SEARS, ROEBUCK for a drop-in replacement DIE HARD!
I still see this car as a second vehicle as opposed to a primary vehicle even for someone like me who doesn't have a commute to work (I work at of the house). That said, my family does regular road trips of between two or four hours each way and the battery range issue would be a concern. As Chuck and Robinr note, however, the price point is far too high at this stage of the game to make this a viable second vehicle option (or a first car choice for many in this economy).
I'd LOVE to have a Chevy Volt. Unlike Mr. Murray, my drive to and from work each day is within the electric drive range of the Volt. I currently own two cars and a pickup truck. I would LOVE to thumb my nose at big oil.
Would I BUY a Chevy Volt? No way, not at that price! Not included in the purchase price is the price of a new battery every year or so ($3000?). OUCH! Would I save that much in fuel costs every year? Not quite.
Also, I know the hassles one must go through to be an "early adopter." Been there, done that. When all the bugs are wrung out of the first year's model, and when the price of ownership drops below $30K, THEN I will look seriously into buying one.
But in the meantime, if someone wants to send me one to test for a year or so, I'll gladly drive it around!
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