Re'volt' Against GM's Electric Car

GM has been facing a lot of criticism over its new electric car, the Chevy Volt. The Volt, which was poised to be the saving grace for the struggling carmaker has taken a beating in the media for its small size, high price and short range. A New York Times op-ed accused GM of using taxpayer money to make a car that no one would buy and the Detroit Free Press reported that some dealers will be charging an extra $20k surcharge on top of the $41k MSRP due to supply issues. Today, thegreenskeptic.com’s Scott Edward Anderson weighed in.

“The Volt may go down in history as the first luxury priced, economy car,” Anderson chided. “It seems like a ridiculous amount to pay for it. The Tesla [Roadster] is not much more for $100k, so you might as well just go for that.”

Price aside, Anderson still thinks the Volt is a loser. “The Volt has been problematic since the beginning,” he explained. “I don’t think GM was ever really behind the vehicle and I think that’s caused them to lose ground. Going 40 miles on the electric engine is not going to cut it.”

When it comes to who the dominant player in the electric car game will be, Anderson is putting his money on Nissan with its all-electric Leaf. “The Leaf is going gang-busters. The orders were fully subscribed the day it was announced,” said Anderson. “I just think it’s going to be a long time before GM can compete in this space.”