At this week's Plug-In 2008 convention (now that sounds hard-core) GM is working with 30 utility companies and consumer groups to develop a strategy for how the Chevy Volt will work in the real world. Among the high points are what kind of tax incentives early adopters will get, and how exactly plugging the cars in at night will work. With GM diligently working on the engineering details, efforts are now turning to the workings of the world into which they will birth their automotive messiah.
Volt is a plug-in hybrid, so you just plug it in, right? Well, not really. Volt will be able to recharge on plug power, but that'll take a lot longer than it would at a charging station. A charging station has to be designed and standardized across all power providers, and it will also be designed to take advantage of cheaper off-peak power. What about apartment dwellers? How do they charge their cars? So many little things to work out and so little time. Guess that's why GM went and signed up with that fancy convention. [Detroit Free Press]