Finally, GM's Volt electric car to go on sale

It seems as if General Motors has been promising the Volt electric car since Benjamin Franklin got zapped by that lightning bolt. But, actually, it's only been about three years. Perhaps all the advance hype just made it feel like it would never end.

Anyway, the Volt finally is almost here, going on sale next month, and it was worth the wait.

But it's not cheap: $41,000 with freight, more with options like leather seats. Fortunately, a $7,500 federal tax rebate can reduce the base price to $33,500.

And its introduction has been tarnished by the revelation last month that GM has been misleading us for three years about the onboard gasoline engine's role. In fact, the engine does more than just produce electricity to keep the two electric motors turning when the batteries run down; at highway speeds, it can help to propel the car. Some believe, therefore, the Volt should be rightly called a plug-in hybrid, not an extended-range electric car. Call it semantics if you will.

The bottom line is that, as for any electric car, you will never have to put gas in the Volt if you stay within the driving range on a full charge: 25 to 50 miles, depending upon conditions like outside temperature (cold weakens batteries) and driving style. In hybrids like the Toyota Prius the engine is almost always running when the vehicle is moving.

However, unlike other electric cars that don't have gasoline engines, the Volt can be driven from here to Los Angeles without a recharge - simply by refilling the gasoline tank again and again.

The Volt's lithium-ion batteries take 10 to 12 hours to recharge on a 120-volt household outlet but only four hours with an optional 240-volt charger installed wherever you park.

The Long Island Power Authority says a recharge of about 10 kilowatt hours will cost its average residential customer $1.88. After 25 to 50 miles, the 1.4-liter gas engine starts. The Volt will go another 300 or so miles until the gas tank is empty. Fillerup and you're good for another 300 miles.

With the engine running, the Volt's fuel economy ranges from 31 to 36 mpg, according to tests by Popular Mechanics magazine, which GM calls a fair estimate. Factoring in the distance on the batteries alone, the magazine figures fuel economy at 37.5 mpg city and 38.15 mpg highway.

The Prius, no longer eligible for a tax credit, is priced from about $22,000 to the low $30,000's with options and is EPA estimated at a combined 50 mpg in ordinary driving. A plug-in version due in 2012 will do better.

In ride, handling and interior design, the Volt is a competitive small/midsize four-door, four-passenger hatchback - about the size of a Prius, but with about two inches less rear-seat legroom. The ride is comfortable and quiet, especially on electric power. The special all-season tires with low rolling resistance are on the noisy side.

The electric steering is a mite over-assisted. Dashboard graphics show the flow of power, the state of battery charge and the gasoline remaining. Navigation is standard, and so is GM's OnStar telematics system. Zero-to-60 mph takes just under nine seconds, says GM - acceptable but hardly quick.

The seats offer only manual adjustments - presumably for weight-saving - but windows, locks and outside mirrors are power-operated and the ignition is keyless. Rear seatbacks fold down to increase what is otherwise limited cargo room.

GM provides an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty on the lithium-ion battery pack and says it shouldn't have to be replaced for at least 10 years or 150,000 miles.

Neither the federal government nor the private Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has published safety ratings for the Volt.

2011 Chevrolet Volt

Vehicle Tested:

Propulsion: 1.4-liter, 4-cylinder gasoline engine, 85 hp.; two electric motors, total 149 hp.

Fuel: Premium gasoline

Transmission: Planetary automatic, front-wheel drive.

Safety: Eight air bags including driver and front passenger knee; 4-wheel disc brakes with antilock and stability control; rear video camera for backing; proximity warning for parking; pedestrian chirp warning in addition to horn; OnStar with automatic crash response; daytime running lamps.

Place of assembly: Hamtramck, Mich.

Cargo room: 10.6 cubic feet

EPA fuel economy estimates: Not yet available.

Price as driven: $44,680 with freight

Bottom line: An expensive but impressive way to thumb your nose at Exxon/Mobil.