Is the Chevy Volt worth $41,000?

Some say the sticker price of General Motors' first mass-market electric car — significantly higher than its rivals — may doom it to failure

(Image credit: Chevrolet/GM)

Environmental consciousness often comes at a relatively steep price — $41,000 in the case of the Chevrolet Volt, due to hit showrooms later this year. Though a $7,500 federal tax credit will reduce the cost of General Motors' first mass-market electric car to $33,500, rival vehicles are considerably cheaper. Toyota's Prius hybrid starts around $22,000, while Nissan's upcoming all-electric car, the Leaf, will come in at approximately $26,000 once the tax credit is factored in. Will sticker shock wither the Volt's prospects? (Watch a promotional video for the Volt)

Not in the long run: People forget that the Prius was also relatively costly "when it was targeted to a small group of early adopters," says the Empty Wheel blog at Firedoglake. GM failed to jump into the hybrid game back then, convinced it would never be profitable. "Toyota, on the other hand, sucked it up and lost money for years" as the hybrid market slowly grew and the costs came down. "That decision... has been one of the most valuable things Toyota has done."

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