Rising gas prices and a worry about dependence on foreign oil has led car companies to completely change their strategy. These companies must now focus on electric vehicles, working to find renewable energy resources that are going to pull cars away from the usual combustible engine. Many companies are scrambling to come out with their electric vehicle, as they were simply unready for this complete shift in the wants and needs of the future public. Chevrolet was different, however, poised and ready to release their first electric vehicle offering as the others scramble to bring theirs to life.

The Chevy Volt is going to be the first mass-produced electric hybrid that will be ready for the masses. While there have been other electric hybrids that have come into the market, the Volt marks the first that will be somewhat accessible to the population. Not limited by small batch sizes, the Volt will release in late 2010 with 10,000 vehicles, followed by a 60,000-vehicle release in the second year of the vehicle.

The Chevy Volt is going to have a price tag around $40,000, making it somewhat expensive for those who were hoping to jump on the Chevy Volt bandwagon. Consumers can expect prices to go down as time goes on; the technology is still relatively new, which will lead to high prices. Chevy has made a point of the fact that they are working to rescue costs as much as possible without sacrificing the actual integrity and quality of the vehicle.

The car will be able to operate for 40 miles without using the engine that is placed inside. The first 40 miles will be completely powered by an electric battery, allowing the car to operate with zero emissions. The car can simply be plugged into a home outlet, providing homeowners with a simple and easy way to fuel their car.

One of the unique ways in which the electric hybrid works is by further powering the battery once the battery has been drained. When the combustible engine kicks in, the battery is slowly charged. While it will not be able to revert back to full battery usage, it will help to ease the load of the engine. The company claims that the Volt will be able to go beyond 300 miles after using both the battery and the engine.

The fuel economy of the Chevy Volt will be second to none, but with some confusion involved. The new technology is not completely regulated, and the EPA has no full test for the fuel economy of this kind of vehicle. While the company has claimed 280 MPG total, and 50 MPG with the engine running, it has not been proven through regulation.

The Chevy Volt is an exciting step for the future of electric cars. While there are still some issues to work out and some technology to improve, Chevy is leading he charge for the future of vehicles that rely more on power than on actual gasoline.

Photo Credits: JMRosenfeld

Originally posted 2010-08-01 03:56:36. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Welcome to Hybrid Diesel Electric This will be a great resource for hybrid car buyers.  In particular we will focus on the hybrid diesel electric vehicles that should be on the market within a year such as the VW Golf.  While I work on that, I encourage the informed buyer to checkout the great deals at......
• Glossary: What is a Hybrid Car? As hybrid cars gain in popularity, many people find themselves asking "What is a hybrid car?" To answer this question, we are supplying a mini lexicon of hybrid car terms and hybrid car technology terms. Let this be a foundation that you can build upon as you learn more about......
• What You Need to Know About Electric Hybrids and Electric Cars The electric car market is expected to boom over the next few years as more and more companies start to enter the electric car market. Chevrolet will be releasing the Chevy Volt in late 2010, and will be followed by offerings from Nissan and Toyota, among other companies. It can......
• How Hybrid Diesel Electric Technology Makes a Difference While there are some hybrid diesel electric buses and locomotives operating in the US, the long-awaited Volkswagen hybrid diesel electric Golf that's manufactured in Europe won't be released to United States market as they had originally planned.  Volkswagen claims that the price of manufacturing the vehicle is too high. The......
• Companies Using Hybrid Diesel Electric Technologies The Toronto Transit system, BC Transit and UPS have something in common these days—hybrid diesel electric technology. The Toronto Transit Commission is actually about to switch away from the technology, while BC Transit intends to keep using it, and UPS is about to embrace it. Diesel electric hybrid buses already......

• Hybrid Malibu Chevy Hybrids Vehicles
• Taurus Ford Hybrid Vehicles
• Scenic Renault Hybrid Vehicles
• Smart Hybrid Vehicles
• Body Kits Smart Hybrid Vehicles

While electric cars are an important step in the future of reliable and renewable energy, there are some questions that remain. It is important to completely vet the different options that we have for electric cars to understand where we are and where we still need to be. While there are plenty of different questions that come into play when considering electric cars, there area few questions that remain that need to be answered.

How to Calculate MPG

One of the major questions regarding electric cars revolves around the actual miles per gallon of the car. While different car companies claim various miles per gallon for their vehicles, the industry has yet to come up with an actual standard. When reading the miles per gallon for different electric vehicles you must keep this in mind, understanding that while the number may be fairly accurate, it is not completely regulated.

How Much Energy It Takes

Electric cars are amazing, in part, because they can actually be charged from the comfort of your home. Different extensions and parts will allow you to use a home outlet to charge the vehicle for use. One questions still remains, however, as we work to understand how the electric car will affect our life: How much energy does it really take to charge one of these vehicles? Answers are sparse, as we still wait to understand the affect that electric car charging will have on our home utility bills.

How Practical Are They?

Electric cars are going to be perfect for city driving; they can easily reach higher speeds that are needed for city driving. Questions remain as to how these electric cars will handle extreme, highway driving. The cars are known for having a weak pick-up time, and many revert to the usual gasoline-powered engine once they work to reach certain speeds. In terms of practicality, the electric car might not be the right choice for your current lifestyle.

How Powerful Are They?

Different electric cars have different levels of power, as each company works to hold up their brand. Companies like Tesla and BMW are going to be known for their power, while weaker models from companies like Chevy may not be as powerful. As companies threaten to come out with their own electric vehicles, we sit and wait to understand how powerful the cars really are.

How Expensive Are They?

As prices start to come out for electric vehicles we truly understand how expensive it can be to own one. The Chevy Volt will come in at far more than $25,000, making it somewhat expensive vehicle for those who are looking to see price-relief from high gas prices. As time goes on, we need to ask how expensive these cars are, and how long it will take the prices to drop.

Photo Credits: LancerE

Originally posted 2010-07-30 09:49:19. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• Benefits of Hybrid Diesel Cars Now that gasoline prices are soaring, many more people are beginning to opt for hybrid diesel cars and ordinary diesel powered cars as well. If you are one of the types of drivers that has appreciation for a diesel engine in place of a regular, ordinary gasoline engine, then one......
• Hybrid Diesel Electric VW Golf Everyone is already aware of what a hybrid electric car is, but there is a way for automakers to take this concept a step further, and that is to create hybrid diesel electric cars. Although at current this is more of a European tradition, the Volkswagen company is bringing it......
• DIY Hybrid Diesel - The XR3 Hybrid When it comes to diesel electric hybrid automobiles, the US has to wait until 2010 before we see the first commercial iteration, the VW Golf. For those who cannot wait, and have access to a garage full of power tools, there is an option. That option is the XR3 Hybrid.......
• Saving Fuel with Hybrid Electric Cars Hybrids are made to operate in all of the same conditions and temperatures that standard automobiles are, while being powered by multiple fuel technology. The use of a rechargeable energy cell system supplements the gasoline engine for propulsion. The basic principals are not hard to understand: hybrid automobiles use the......
• The US Braces for the Diesel Hybrid Congress has made a offer to car manufacturers which has the auto makers scrambling. They are working to create a short term plan for the release more fuel efficient vehicles into the market in order to help reform the energy situation in the US. This will give automakers aid in......

• Tracker Geo Hybrid Cars & Trucks
• Engine DeLorean Hybrid Vehicles
• 1953 International Harvester Hybrid Vehicles
• 1066 International Harvester Hybrid Vehicles
• Zeppelin Maybach Hybrid Vehicles