I remember being excited about the Chevy Volt. I was wrong. While we want a society that is more sustainable, government environmental policies are part of the problem not part of the solution. The online magazine Liberty Unbound:
The Chevy Volt, to cite one example, can travel 35 miles on its fully charged 16 kWhbattery. Thus, charging the battery by means of the average US power plant creates 19.2 pounds of CO2; in effect, 0.55 pounds of CO2 per mile. The EPA rates the Volt's gas-only fuel economy as 37 mpg. Since a gallon of gasoline produces about 19.6 pounds of CO2 , the Volt produces 0.53 pounds of CO2 per mile. Incredibly, the Volt's carbon footprint is 0.02 pounds per mile larger when powered by its battery — another electrical mystery.
Sometimes it is the appearance of environmental progress that is more important than the reality. A Volt might make you feel better about yourself, but is does not help the environment. The article concludes with this analogy:
This plan is a costly, inane indulgence in fantasy. If the curtain were pulled back, it would reveal a fatuous illusionist, feverishly operating the levers of subsidies, tax credits, and regulatory mandates to orchestrate the scam.
Read the whole article, it is worth your time.