GM recently announced the EPA estimates for the Chevy Volt, their new hybrid coming out for the 2010 model year:Compare this to the best selling hybrid out there right now, the Toyota Prius, which gets a downright-pathetic 48 MPG. Of course, the 2010 Prius has an MSRP of $25,800, and it's being built without money from the government (which they get from taxpayers).
But... a couple of questions come up. For one, GM is now Government Motors, who rushed it through bankruptcy without shedding the biggest problems the automaker is dealing with. They reduced debt but still have union contracts to contend with, and now the union has a big stake in owning the company, as well. And the government, last I checked, also runs the EPA. Is there perhaps a conflict of interest in the government giving its own car the highest estimated MPG ever? And this just happens to be the car that this Administration wants you to buy, instead a huge, gas-guzzling SUV. Hm...
The Volt also has a cost to build of around $40,000. Will the much higher cost than other hybrids cancel out the gas savings, even if the gas mileage is that good?
And the final irony is that Volt buyers will be eligible for a tax credit of $7500. So, your money was taken to save a company and retain a strong union presence in its workforce. The car, now built by the government-run GM, costs a lot more to build than its competitors who are not government run. And to offset the higher cost, the government will give you some money back to try to entice you to buy their car.
Can't wait for GM health care!
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