Digital Journal TV: The Rise of the Electric Car (Again)

In a move bound to shake up the auto industry (if it's a success), GM is partnering with the top electric utilities in North America to usher in a new age of electric cars. Digital Journal TV finds out how the classic gas pump could be nudged aside soon. Digital Journal -- In 2010, General Motors wants you to plug your car into an outlet. That's the year GM releases its Chevy Volt, an electric car powered solely by a lithium-ion battery. But to get the electric car going, a driver needs to find a power station, the futuristic equivalent of a gas pump. GM isn't sitting on its hands; it recently teamed up with the Electric Power Research Institute, a group of more than 30 of the top electric utilities in the United States and Canada, in order to accelerate the introduction of these vehicles. The question now is will the electric car be a success if a power distribution network is properly impelmented? Could a plan that involves widespread charging stations convince people to ditch the gas-guzzling SUVs in exchange for a hatchback that plugs into the wall? GM and the EPRI want to dispel any myths about battery-powered cars while also working with public policy leaders to ease the transition from petroleum to electricity as a fuel source. They will be planning public awareness campaigns to educate the public on how to safely charge your electric car. General Motors VP of Global Program Management Jon Lauckner views the partnership as nothing short of a "plug-in revolution." He said in a statement:

We are focused on creating affordable, highly desired vehicles that will take advantage of the grid - and providing accessible, reliable, convenient low cost electricity to plug-in customers.

Electric cars are even getting their share of attention in political discourse. John McCain has expressed how the Chevy Volt is "the future of America and the world." McCain is also offering a $300 million prize to anyone who creates a first battery with the “the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars.” By the way, the prize money is twelves times the amount offered for the capture of Osama Bin Laden. But as much hype as there is behind the electric car, questions still remain: if a power station can only give the Volt, say, 40 miles per charge, what happens to drivers with longer commutes to work? How expensive will these cars be? And will gas and oil executives truly let the electric car flourish, or will they play a role in its demise once again. Digital Journal TV delves inside GM's new partnership to find out what consumer benefits electric cars offer. What do you think: Will this finally be the era of the electric car, or a fad soon to be replaced like old tires?