A while back I did a little piece on the future of cars.  Namely I was writing about the Chevy Volt.  Well, actually it was more than a little while back.  It was actually January 2007.  Eighteen months later I see these headlines:

General Motors announced plans Tuesday to shut four truck and SUV plants that employ thousands of workers. It also said high gas prices are here to stay – and, with them, consumers’ growing preference for more fuel-efficient vehicles.…..

The company said it believes that high oil and gasoline prices will be the norm, and that prices are likely to go higher due to strong global demand for oil.…..

“These higher gasoline prices are changing consumer behavior and rapidly,” said Wagoner. “We don’t think this is a temporary spike or shift. We think it is permanent.”…….

He also announced that GM has approved production of the Chevrolet Volt, a so-called plug-in hybrid vehicle that can run about 40 miles without any use of gasoline. The Volt will be built in GM’s Hamtramck, Mich., plant and is due in showrooms by the end of 2010.……

“We believe it’s the biggest step yet in our industry’s move away from its historic, nearly complete reliance upon petroleum to power vehicles,” he said. “We believe the Volt is an important investment for the future of our company and our shareholders.”……

Now, I guess I should be thrilled they’re following my suggestion.  However, I just gotta wonder exactly how many Prious were sold in those same eighteen months?

I also gotta wonder why CNN refers to the Volt as “a so-called plug-in hybrid”?  Seems kinda snide for no reason at all to me.  If a person doesn’t have to go more than 40 or so miles between charges, it uses no gasoline at all.  In case of emergency, that electrical boost/back-up is there.  It is, in the truest sense, a hybrid.  Now, to put it complete perspective, a truly electric only car is NOT a hybrid.  It just strikes me these days that in order to make sure everyone knows CNN is a bunch of biased idiots, they go the extra mile.

I haven’t seen a Volt yet.  But, as I said eighteen months ago, make it cheap and I’m all over it!