Editorial: Car of the future

Saturday, June 9, 2007 | 7:34 a.m.

W e welcomed the November announcement by General Motors that it was developing a plug-in gas/electric hybrid car whose mileage would far surpass that of any vehicle on the road today.

Given GM's recent history, however, we cautioned that making a bold commitment at the Los Angeles Auto Show was one thing, and sticking with the commitment would be quite another.

The company has been losing billions in recent years and in April was surpassed by Toyota in worldwide sales, largely because it failed in the 1990s to recognize the coming demand for alternatively fueled, higher-mileage cars and trucks.

Speaking this week at a shareholders' meeting in Delaware, GM Chairman Rick Wagoner put aside any notion that the company's commitment to plug-in technology was fleeting.

He said GM was working full bore on a plug-in Chevrolet called the Volt. "Given the huge potential that the Volt ... offers to lower oil consumption, lower oil imports and reduce carbon gas emissions, this is for sure a top priority program for GM," Wagoner said.

Plug-in technology exists today in various individual models, according to the California Car Initiative (CalCars.org). This nonprofit group, consisting of entrepreneurs, engineers, environmentalists and consumers, is dedicated to encouraging auto makers to produce plug-ins that get more than 100 miles per gallon.

But no manufacturer, not even Toyota, has figured out how to mass produce plug-in hybrids at a price consumers can afford. Battery technology is the holdup.

When the Volt is ready for the market, GM wants it to be able to go at least 40 miles, at all speeds, on battery power alone, from a singe charge. The overnight-length charge would come from a normal electrical outlet in the owner's garage.

The Volt's three-cylinder gasoline engine, by recharging the battery when powering the vehicle, will enable a total range of 640 miles on a single tank of gas.

From both business and environmental perspectives, GM's commitment to plug-in technology is laudable. It would be nice to see home-grown technology revive the U.S. auto industry - and lead the way toward a cleaner world.