I’ll start by stating I’m not a fan of Obama or his administration. Dumping on this vehicle though simply because his administration happens to support it is ridiculous. Doing so without knowing what you’re talking about only hurts your cause. Responses to your points below.
1) The electric-only range is advertised as 40 miles, and in all of GMs testing, I’m sure they’re using the AC and winshield wipers. When the battery gets low near the end of this 40 miles, the gasoline motor kicks in automatically to charge the battery. This is where the Volt is different from other electrics in that it can use gasoline as a range extender, where as other electrics are tied to their charging stations.
2) Performance. Have you read any actual reviews of the Volt? It’s been noted in quite a few reviews that performance is actually quite good. The linked wired article states it behaves as a normal sedan up to the tested 70mph. And no, “as tested” does not mean it cannot go faster. Not the reviewer purposefully tested the vehicle after the batteries were depleted. Your 35mph example is null and void.
3) Battery maintenance. The battery warranty is 8-years/100k miles. New technology is expensive, but this warranty mitigates the risk considerably.
4) No cold weather testing? The linked article contradicts your statement that “When GM experimented with an electric vehicle, it was tested only in California and Arizona”.
5) Finally, the price. Your right, $41k is a lot of money. Again though, this is a new technology that is going to be funded by early adopters and (unfortunately) the federal government through its tax credits. Until it becomes affordable enough for you to buy, you don’t have to worry about the cost.
