Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Rasmussen: Americans more open to buying an electric car--until they hear the cost

President Obama was in Detroit last week shilling for Government Motors' Chevy Volt, which costs a steep $41,000. A federal rebate of $7,500 makes the price a bit more palatable, but it's still expensive, and the rebate can be safely called a subsidy for the better-off.

Hope and change, baby.

A Rasmussen Reports poll finds that 37 percent of Americans say that it's at least somewhat likely they will buy an electric vehicle--but 59 percent say they are unlikely to plug into Obama's dream.

But when respondents learned that an electric car costs $15,000 more than an internal combustion vehicle, interest in ObamaCars plummets faster than the Chosen One's poll numbers---it goes down to 15 percent.

Those Volts can only travel 40 miles before they need a recharge, millions of Americans drive farther during their daily commute.

And what about that 40 mile limit? Is that achieved on only on interstate highways in pancake-flat central Illinois? Does stop and go traffic chip away at that range? Will ObamaCars start in subzero weather? What about altitude? Steep inclines?

What about...?

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