Will the Chevy Volt save GM?

The electric car revolution is about to begin in earnest, says Roy Ritchie in Time. On Wednesday, General Motors revealed the much-anticipated Chevy Volt, the first all-electric sedan from the troubled but resiliant auto giant. Along with rival electric models from Nissan and other companies, the Volt (which hits the pavement later this year) stands to radically transform the experience of driving. Of course, "huge roadblocks remain," especially customer wariness about relying on an expensive battery. But fear not — "electric-car technology is advancing quickly, and the price is dropping as it does." Are you likely to plug in? Here, an excerpt:

These battery-powered vehicles, charged in your wall outlet like some oversized cordless power tool, will revolutionize not only the auto industry but also the way Americans live and drive. At least that's what major automakers are betting billions on....

Introducing the Volt today, GM announced an industry best for an electric car battery warranty. For drivers who worry that the Volt's expensive batteries, which will drive the car 40 miles on a charge, won't last, the company is offering an eight-year or 100,000 miles guarantee. That's important because American drivers have become used to starting and driving their cars in all sorts of bad weather. Will a battery powered car start in Minnesota when it's 30 degrees below zero? Extreme temperature is the enemy of battery power. Most batteries like to operate around 70 degrees. If it gets much colder or hotter the car could be hard to start and the range of a battery could drop by as much as a third.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Real the full story at Time.