Here's a more in-depth feature on the Volt, specifically the kind of balls GM is putting on display in order to compete with foreign automakers. This is partly why I thought John McCain's $300 million cash prize to the person who invents a crazy-good new battery was so ludicrous--every car company and most energy companies and even stoners out in Silicon valley are trying to do just that. The incentive for a crazy-good battery is already there--the person who invents one will surely make more than a paltry $300 million. In other words, there's a fine line where 'incentivize' becomes 'subsidize,' and it seems clear that neither presidential candidate is going to find the right place on the issue (which is probably "do nothing").
It's really discouraging though if GM is banking on a bail-out; that takes all of the boldness (or, put another way, recklessness) out of the venture that comes through in the Atlantic piece.
