When the Motor Show comes to my home town, you just know I'm going to go all out. This is the first of a series of articles about the Melbourne Motor Show - not a large Motor Show by world standards, but this year, there are more new unveilings and locally relevant cars and concepts on show than ever before. For those of you who are international (not Australian) readers, don't worry - most of these articles will be highly relevant to you too.

So I've started with the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic - which is already sold in the UK, but will soon arrive here in down under. This is one of the most important cars of the Motor Show this year, because, crucially, the Fiesta ECOnetic aims to be the most economical car available in Australia when it launches later this year. How economical is it? Try just 3.7 Litres of diesel per 100 km, and on the environmental front, less than 100 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometre. Which, in Australia - where the hyper-economical cars of Europe are currently not available - is a revelation. Definitely beats the Toyota Prius for green-credentials, anyway, which is fine with me, because I don't like it very much.

The crucial difference between the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic and the aforesaid Prius is clearly price. The ECOnetic is set to be priced at around $20,000 - which makes helping the environment within the reach of so many people. This is the way we have to save the environment until the electric cars arrive - not wacky hybrids that are ugly, environmentally unfriendly to make, and aren't particularly efficient. This car even has a decent amount of power - 66kW and 200Nm, if you please. There seems to be no downside to the ECOnetic, because not only is it economical, it is a real car, and has real performance, and a price-tag that is well and truly in the real world. And if the Fiesta ECOnetic sells well, Ford might also bring the Focus ECOnetic and Mondeo ECOnetic to Australia, which sounds like it's exactly what the doctor ordered.

Greenies, start your engines. Turbo-diesel engines, I mean.

MELBOURNE 2009: Ford Fiesta ECOnetic Slaps Hybrids in the Face

I like green cars - I like cars that are environmentally friendly, but I've never really like the Toyota Prius. Why? Other Prius-haters cite figures of fuel consumption that apparently aren't that economical, some people say a European diesel is more efficient, Toyota has been accused of halting greencar progress, etc. - but I'm a lot more simplistic. I believe that the latest generation of green cars should be accessible to the wider world, not just green fanatics - green cars should become the "people's car" of the new millenium. But average joes don't want to drive something that looks like my bathroom soap and pretends to be too technologically advanced for simple minds like mine. In this way, the Prius' appeal is limited, and it's environmental impact (although debatable, anyway...) remains limited. Which is sad, and it almost seems like Toyota does this on purpose - the Honda FCX Clarity doesn't look bad, neither does the Chevy Volt (well, it looks more normal than the Prius does, at least give me that). But anyway, this is the new, 2010 Toyota Prius. Basically the story is "more of the same". The new model does refine the concept slightly however.

It doesn't get lithium-ion battery technology like the Chevrolet Volt (the Toyota remains with nickel-hydride), but it has become even more fuel efficient, even though the 1.5 Litre petrol engine has been upsized to a more powerful 1.8 Litre. Hopefully now the Prius won't be as slow as we remember it was, but Toyota won't speculate on exact efficiency figures just yet - I will keep you posted. Instead, they've announced a 0-100kmh acceleration figure: 9.8 seconds, which puts it only one tenth of a second slower than the Corolla.

What Toyota really have been bragging about is the drag coefficient of the new Prius - the lowest in the production car world. At 0.25, it surprised even me, but I suppose it a car looks like a piece of soap it had better be aerodynamic, huh? To put it in perspective, the Ferrari 599 has a drag coeffiecient of 0.33 - and it too is considered rather slippery.

There's not much to say for the prius in terms of design - they've kept the basic shape, which I've never liked, they've given it a face similar to the Corolla, which I've never liked, and they've kept the retarded split rear window thing, which you guessed it, I've never liked. Toyota have been saying that for this new model, they rejected the futuristic ideas of the current model and went with a more conventional, user-friendly design - but this new interior doesn't look very useer-friendly at all, so I hope they're right.

In the end, I still believe that the Prius is an irrelevant car - why did the current model have to cost $40,000 and still only be equipped with two airbags? - and it remains to be seen whether the new model will adress this. But first impressions have me betting that it won't.

DETROIT MOTOR SHOW 2009: The Next-Gen Toyota Prius for Next-Gen Greenies

I've done a lot of ranting lately, but after this, I promise I'll stop for a little while. Someone asked me recently (in real life, you idiot, not on the blog - I have a life!) what I thought of Australian-built vehicles. For those of us who aren't entirely aware what's built in Australia these days, this is it:

Really, when it boils down to it, we have essentially three cars - Commodore, Falcon, and Camry. Don't whine that the Aurion isn't a Camry, because it darn well is - they look exactly the same side-on, and have identical interior design. The Mitsubishi 380 was made in Australia, but nobody bought them (because they were ugly, and looked like the American car it was based upon) and it ceased production last year. So that's the story of Australian made. They're all big, large cars, and on the whole - they have V6 engines.

So back to what I think of Australian-Built vehicles. I expressed in no uncertain terms my disgust for them, and was presented with the reply: "Gee, you're great for Aussie jobs, aren't you? Love our economy!" It was like my opinion was a reflection of the Aussie workers, our Aussie talent - I was "unastrayun", apparently. But I have good reasons why I hate Aussie-built cars, and it really comes down to the corporate decision-making that ruins their appeal.

Number One: Australian cars are hurting the environment. Of course they are! They're huge cars with V6 engines! And it's not some production-line worker's fault, it's the Holden bosses' fault. The average Australian sedan has about 200kW of power, with an average economy of 11L per 100km. A V8 has in excess of 270kW, and will use about 14L/100km.

I believe that 200kW is far more power in a family car than anyone really needs, and in just about every market in the world other than the US, 200kW is a figure you'd see on a high performance car - a sports car that sells in minorities. But the Australian large car is sold in majority, so the damage is amplified. You might say that these cars are so heavy that they need 200kW to push them along, but the only reason they are even this heavy is because of the great stinking engine sitting up the front. And they're still fast. A Toyota Aurion goes from 0-100kmh in just 7.4 seconds, which is around the same acceleration as a Golf GTi, Lancer Ralliart, the supercharged Range Rover Sport, A Jaguar XJ8, and the V8 HEMI Chrysler 300C. All big names in the sports/luxury car world, but all sold in small volume. No one really needs their family sedan, which is not meant to go any faster than 100kmh, to break the law in 7.4 seconds.

What is considered a family car in, say, the UK for example? The Ford Mondeo. It has a four cylinder engine which is significantly more economical that an Aussie six, although not as fast - but surely fast enough for law-abiding average joes?

But it's the sense that Australian car makers feel that they don't need to invest money in fuel economy - that's what irks me. Have you ever seen an economical Diesel Falcon? Or a petrol-electric hybrid Commodore? Even Toyota, the clean green Prius king, can't rock up with a hybrid Camry yet. What do they give us? A Supercharged Aurion. In America, there are hybrid variants of just about every family-sized sedan or SUV - we keep guzzling the petrol, but we tell them they're environmental hooligans. Hypocrits? And then some.

I know that all this technology is being added to Australian cars, but we're always years behind the rest of the world - it makes me think that Australian cars really aren't cutting edge, and that we truly are "underdeveloped colonialists", as the English would put it. And we're ruining the planet - with all our unique native wildlife being ruined by climate change, you'd think we'd try to drive cars that cut down emissions, wouldn't you? But people buy Australian-made, because they feel obliged to, and while some fat worker keeps his job in Broadmeadows, the Great Barrier Reef dies.

Number Two: Australian Cars are still awful quality. This may be a product of our culture and our work ethic, but these days, cars are mostly built by robots, and there really is no excuse for cars with ill-fitting dashboards, huge gaps between interior materials, etc. - you still think we make good quality cars? Alright, think about this. Which do you think is more expensive - the materials used to make the interior of the new Commodore, or the materials used to make the interior of the new Peugeot 308? Look at the pictures below if you're not sure.

I told you. I even used a picture of the top of the line Commodore SS-V! It costs a heap more than any 308 could - why?!?! Because it is a big heavy boofy sedan with a V8 that drinks more than Amy Winehouse, that's why.

and Number Three: Australian Built vehicles are robbing us of safety features we deserve. This is inexcusable. You've all seen the latest ads for the Falcon, saying it was the first Australian car to achieve 5-stars, and the Commodore has followed suit, but I'm still wondering: what took us so long? The technology is there, and the rest of the world have been driving cars with 5-star safety for donkey's yonks. The Renault Laguna - one of the staples of Europe's family-car market - has been a 5-star car since 1999! It might be more expensive here, and now, but at the time it certainly wasn't, and it was one of the first of an army of European cars, big and small, (but the big ones first) achieving five star safety ratings. For crying out loud, Kia have built a 5-star car before Australia. And we bag them about how unsafe everything they make is! What we don't realise, behind our "made in Australia" pride, is that we are worse.

Another point I nearly made is that I believe that Australian cars are encouraging "bogan" culture - this really isn't fair, because this is no inherent fault in the car itself, just the people who drive it. I still appreciate that the Porsche 911 is a good car, even though they are always driven by dickwits. So I'll refrain from making that point, and stick to those three above. They are enough to make me turn my nose up at Australian cars anyway. Maybe they weren't, fifty years ago, but the car industry should move with the times, and it hasn't.

So I don't think people should feel an obligation to buy Australian-made, just because they are Australian. It doesn't make you "Unaustralian" if you don't, anyway. You have the choice to buy a better car, so you should - if enough people do the same thing, then the Australian car companies will realise they have to do better.

And slowly, this is what is happening. Australian car sales are slowing, whether it is because of environmental conscience or petrol prices (sadly, probably the latter), and companies who are building cars in Australia have had to beg the government for grants so that their operations remain profitable. But given the chance, I'm sure Holden and Ford would just keep on making large cars with big V8s - I think our mate Mr. Rudd (the K-Dog) thought so too. He's making Holden build a hybrid here in Australia (based on an American car, mind you), he's making Toyota build a hybrid Camry, and he's making Ford build their Focus here in Australia, with diesel variants. That's a start, but the whole culture has got to change - Australians have to see that there are huge problems with the cars we're currently turning out, and we have to change our attitude toward these problems. "She'll be right, mate" isn't going to cut it with me, anyway.

So I'll hate Australian cars, and be a traitor to my homeland until these issues are resolved.

RANT: Australian Cars

I like the Mitsubishi Lancer - it's a car that is pretty much at the top of it's game, up with the class competitors, and selling well. It's exactly the thing Mitsubishi Australia needed to increase profitability in our market. Then they introduced the Sportback.

In one rather memorable story, I remarked that you're usually pretty safe with any small car that has the word "Sport" added to it. I was pretty much right, but only because in that case, the "sport" referred to a level of specification (tuned suspension, bodykit, etc.), and not the rear end of a car. It's becoming a growing trend. Audi named the four-door version of their A3 the "Sportback", then Holden decided that the new Commodore wagon should be called "Sportwagon" (what the frick is sporty about a 5-metre long Commodore Omega wagon has got me beat), and now we have the Lancer Sportback. The reason why I'm really annoyed by the Lancer is because, unlike the Audi and the Commodore, it looks absolutely hideous.

I couldn't find a picture on the internet that hadn't been cleverly angled to hide the wierd shape of that rear hatchback - it looks pretty unloved, doesn't it? Nevertheless, I will assume that it broadens the Lancer's appeal further, and can probably carry heaps of stuff. Why I'm really mentioning it is because usually, the transfer from hatch to booted sedan comes up with some hideous cars. Think about when they made the Toyota Echo sedan! That was a shocker. Thankfully, car makers have realised that we tend not to buy ugly spin-offs of good cars, so we don't get some of these hatch-to-sedan blunders. Elsewhere however, they have. Often, these are travesties that are best represented in profile - the Citroen C4 sedan. Nowhere near funky enough to be a dancing robot (tell Tsoukinator). Another example I'd like to show you is the Mazda2 Sedan - horrible!

I want to have a dig at it not because I think it is ugly (even though I do think so) - Imprezas, and Subaru's in general, are meant to be ugly. It's reassuring. It tells you: "Don't worry. I haven't changed. I'm still ugly - I'm still good quality Subaru inside." Instead, I hate it because in profile, or side-view, it has basically copied the proportions of the current (and outgoing) Mazda3. Tut, tut, tut.

Alright, now it's the sedan's turn. The front half of the car is actually bearable, but only once you've seen the rear end. Subaru have done even more copycating here - although this time, they've copycatted something really bad to start with.

What would you think if I told you that you're new "fooli sik" WRX looked like a Suzuki SX4? Well, I'd be right, and you'd be fuming - "how dare you compare my fooli sik WRX with that heap of sh**!" you will say. But I will walk away and laugh, because the arse of your $50,000 sports car, with rally credentials, street savvy, and a youthful image - looks identical to the arse of your grandma's little runaround.

RANT: I Don't Like That Arse, I Don't...

After being prompted in a reader comment "what would be a good first car?", I felt I couldn't simply answer that question properly in a Blog Comment. There is enough meat in this to make a sizeable story.

There is not one car that will suit all types of people, and different people have different priorities. Not to mention different price ranges. I can recommend stuff, but the range of things to choose from is so large these days that you'd still be scratching your head. However, for most reasonable price ranges, you can still get a variety of used and new cars. But there are a few golden rules to buying a good first car - so pay attention as I start listing them. I'll test ya later.

1. If it was a good car when it was new, then chances are, it will be a good used car as well.

Now what I mean by that is when the car was new - like in 2004 when Proton launched the Gen-2 - how was it considered? The Gen-2 was crap then, and is still crap now. Good new cars tend to make good used cars. So:

2. Forget about Chrysler, Daewoo, Daihatsu, Dodge, Hummer, Hyundai, Kia, Proton and Ssangyong. You won't miss them.

Why have I been so harsh? Because I can't think of one car any of these manufacturers have made that is actually good. New or used, it doesn't matter, don't be tempted by these carmakers. They may try to lure you with low prices, and seemingly good warranty etc., but these cars are made with the philosophy "near enough is good enough", and they will require more maintenance and repair than other cars. They are quite likely to be faulty. Not only that, they will not make you feel special in any way, and will be dull in every respect, not least to drive. With the exception of one or two recent Hyundais, all these manufacturers make cars that are significantly less safe than their competitors. Don't be fooled by how many airbags are quoted - they are made by Asian slave labour, and wearing a Michellin-Man suit is a more effective protection system than one of these cars. They are cheap, and that's it.

So talking about reliability, here's a rule that might help you out.

3. Buying a Japanese car will mean virtually trouble-free ownership.

More than a European car, anyway. Okay, here's the trade-off. A Japanese car will be really reliable, and won't cost too much to service or to insure either. But a European car will have more personality, will usually drive even better, but won't be as reliable or as cheap to service and insure. Really, the disparity in insurance costs can be an eye-opener. Get an online insurance estimate for your car before you buy, just to know what you're in for. Some online calculators are quite innacurate, but I can recommend the RACV insurance calculator, as they seem to be just about spot on. European cars are also more expensive than their Japanese counterparts. Really, those little Japs have worked out marvellous ways to manufacture with fantastic quality - especially Toyota. Toyotas never seem to as much as cough. Which reminds me:

4. Don't buy a Toyota unless you really, really have to.

But why, you ask? Well, let me as you a question in return. For your first car, would you like a whitegood on wheels, or would you like a car? If you answered "a car", then you do not want a Toyota. You will want to smile as you turn the key of your car every day, not groan because after 35 years your bland Toyota still keeps going and you wish it would just die. Okay, I know you can sell your car, so that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you should be a car because it is good, not because it won't die.

But that's enough brand bagging for one day. It's time to help you with what kind of car you should buy, and helping you come to your own conclusions about what is right for you. The first question you need to ask yourself is: how big does my car need to be? Which leads on to my next rule:

5. Don't buy a car that is at all bigger than you need it to be.

It may sound like common-sense, but you'd be surprised how many people just get carried away. Basically, the principle is this: you are far better off buying a better quality small car than buying a sh*tbox of a large car. And besides, a small car will provide better fuel efficiency (less money at the pump), and will be easier to park. That should be quite important, because if you're buying a first car, chances are you are young, and young people tend to need to drive in the city. You will be very surprised how much the right-sized car will lessen your in-car stress levels.

When people go out to buy a car, all they seem to talk about is their price range. They're getting it wrong! The first thing you should think about is your size range. What cars are the right size for your needs? Once you know that, you can see how old the cars have to be before they reach into your price range. But remember this:

6. Buy the newest car you can afford, with the least amount of kilometres on the odometer you can find.

Don't try and find the cheapest car that looks fine - a newer car will perform better and be more reliable than an old one. Spend as much money as you can (within reason) on your car - every penny is worth it, trust me. Cars get better all the time. These days they do, anyway. Try to find a car that has the least amount of kilometres you possibly can. But a good guide to follow is this - don't buy a car that has significantly more than 15,000km on the clock for every year of age. So a MY2003 (Model Year 2003) car with more than 75,000km is a bit of a worry. Why? Because any higher than that and it is likely that the car has been thrashed, and its internals may not be in great condition. Really, you do have to make sure everything about your car is in good condition.

7. Always, always test drive the car, and give it a thorough once-over, twice-over and thrice-over.

Play around with all the switches and knobs, and check to see if the electricals (air-conditioning, radio, CD player, windows, mirrors, etc.) are still working. If they are not, that will be an extra expense, and you really don't want that - depending on what car it is, it can be quite an expense, too. If you don't trust your own judgement, pay for an expert assessment of the car - they will point out mechanical problems that may not be immediately evident. But I'm talking about used cars here, not new ones.

But regardless, make sure there is absolutely nothing about the car that is really going to drive you up the wall. I mean it! Just about all cars have some sort of downfall, or something that is going to irritate someone. Just make sure that nothing at all is going to annoy the crap out of you, because once you've bought the car, there's nothing you can do about it. For example, when my sister was looking for her first car, she found that a few cars were just about perfect in every other area, but had one small problem: The speedometer was in the middle of the car, not directly in front of the steering wheel. My sister has multifocal lens glasses which are nigh on useless in the corners of the lens - they are designed for the straight ahead, and if my sister were to glance at the speedometer, she would have to physically turn her head away from the road - which poses a safety, not to mention an annoyance issue.

If you find that for the size of car you want, you can afford a new car, great! A new car doesn't have the same risk as a used car (risk of it being a lemon), and you don't inherit the problems of the previous owner. However, you may wish to look at buying a slightly used car or dealer demonstrator car - these are called "nearly new" cars. They may save you a few grand, but be warned - a car that is being sold after just a year of previous ownership is always a bit suspicious and fishy. Why don't they want it anymore? Find out why the seller is selling the vehicle. You don't want to buy their lemon. If they couldn't stand it after only one year, how will you fare?

8. Get the Roadworthy Certificate, and see the Servicing History Log-Book of the car.

If the car has been serviced abnormally often (use your own discretion, it's easy enough to tell), then chances are, the car is a dud. If the seller cannot provide a roadworthy certificate, do not buy the car. They should know they need to provide this, and are probably just trying to do a shonky deal with you. If at any time, the seller of the car refuses to answer one of your questions, or is witholding information, LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. The car could be stolen, and you don't want to get duped. It could also have money owing. For example, if the seller bought the car for $16,000 but still has $4,000 left unpaid, and you buy the car, then the $4,000 debt is now yours. Retarded, I know, but all the more reason to make sure you aren't dudded. That's why if it looks to cheap to be true, it probably isn't.

You can avoid this trap, however, by doing a free Vehicle Status Check on the VicRoads website - it will check whether the vehicle is stolen, it's registration, whether it has been in a "write-off" accident (some cars are repaired on the outside, but still have unsafe componenents), or any financial information that may be of interest to a buyer. I'll take you there now if you click HERE.

But when it comes to working out what car to buy, this comes first:

9. Do ya bloody research, ya lazy bugger!

After you've worked out what size car you need, you really need to do some research about the cars within that size range. The internet is a great way to do this simply, at your own leisure, and without car salesmen (usually men) breathing down your neck and telling you to buy, BUY, BUY!!!

Some cars will have different features, and so you will have to prioritise. Do I want better safety, or more performance? Do I want good handling, or do I want a more stylish car? They're not always mutually exclusive, but often, you will have to compromise. But how much you have to compromise depends on how well you've done your research. You shouldn't have to compromise very much at all (unless you expect a Toyota Yaris to be equipped like a Rolls-Royce).

By the time you walk into the dealership, or the car yard, or meet the seller to have a look at the car, you should know as much, if not more, about the car than the seller themselves. The seller should not tell you something about the car that you are at all surprised by, or did not know. If they do, you should be confident enough in your research to suspect them of lying - shonky car salesmen tend to lie, and you need to be able to show them up. When you finally see the car in the flesh (or metal, I should say), all you should need to do is see the Service Log Book, the Roadworthy Certificate, test drive the car and make sure everything works, and negotiate a price. That's it. You should already have found out about the car, either online, or by telephoning the seller for more information.

This way, not only do you save time, but you look more informed, and the seller will be less likely to rip you off. But at the end of the day, this is also a really important tip:

10. You should love the car you've bought.

Honestly. Providing you've followed the rules, you should be able to find a car that you will fall in love with, and grow attached to. It sounds lame, but think what a fantastic feeling it will be when you look at all the other cars on the road and laugh because yours is just soooo much better. Cars usually aren't perfect, but if you find one that you truly love, then in the end, that's what truly matters, isn't it? And don't think I'm comparing buying a car to finding the partner of your dreams, because if you are thinking that, then you've missed the point entirely. You too should be a car enthusiast. You should be enthusiastic about your car. Cars are not just transport - they are personal transport, and a symbol of global culture.

So anyway, if one of your mates reckons they've bought a lemon, its because they haven't followed one of my ten simple rules. Learn from their mistakes, buy a better car than they did, and chuckle quietly to yourself when they give you a jealous glare as you drive off down the street.

FEATURE STORY: Your First Car

I suppose I wanted to bring this story to you a while ago, but really, I wanted to be well-informed before I made a decision to love or loathe the Chevrolet Volt. I wanted to be knowledgeable of all that it can and can't do, so I could bring you an informative article. For a change.

This is an important car. And as soon as a carmaker claims that their latest car is "theoretically emissionless" and not only that, will be going to production as shown, you can't help but raise an eyebrow. Is it General Motors spin? I'm pleased to say that it probably isn't.

At first, the Volt seems close to normal. It is based on the next-generation Astra platform, is front drive, front engined... yet nothing is as it seems. I'll start with what I know best - aesthetics. At first I thought it looked funny, like a joke - I mean, why are the windows indented into the shape of the body. Why does it seem to look like it tried to look normal, but couldn't? Because this car has an electric motor, and for it to be effective the Volt needs to be as aerodynamic as humanly possible. Aerodynamics govern the way the Volt looks. Given that GM had to achieve such a feat in aerodynamics, the Volt doesn't look half bad. A bit gawkily futuristic, but hey, it's a brave new world out there.

But what was that I just said? The Volt has an electric motor? Yes, it does. It is the principle motor of the car, and is what drives the front wheels. The Volt also has a not-so-futuristic petrol engine, but GM says that it really doesn't even need to be there, in most consumer's cases. Did you think it was a petrol-electric hybrid like the Toyota Prius? Think again. At the helm is the 112kW electric engine (with an instantaneous 370Nm of torque), which is connected to a high-tech lithium-ion battery. Even Toyota, with it's next-generation Toyota Prius, hasn't fully developed the lithium-ion technology for everyday use. So far, so good. The battery will power the Volt for 65km, but then has to be plugged in to a mains power supply to recharge the battery overnight. 65km may not sound like much, but GM has somehow researched the subject and found that it is enough for approximately 75% of private american drivers. That figure could be a crock, but it sounds about right to me.

So what about the other 25%? Sometimes we need to travel more than 65km, and although the Volt is emissionless when it runs on electric power, what do you do then? This is where the petrol engine comes into the equation. Only one the battery has no power left does it start up, and even then, it does not actually directly power the wheels of the car. Instead, the 55kW generated by the 1.4 litre engine is used to power the electric engine until you can find mains power supply. Even in this situation however, the Volt uses only 4.7 litres/100km. About the same as the current Prius, then.

Other upsides to this car are numerous. A full 65km charge in mains power will cost only roughly $1.20. If you're commuting around town in your little Yaris-sized small car, doing 7.6/100km, you will save 1520 litres of fuel a year, which, even at the currently lower-than-usual prices, would be $1672 a year. Or about 5.9 tonnes of greenhouse gas. Impressive. But then I thought about the greenhouse effect a little more, and wondered: if the Volt charges from mains power, and mains power isn't green power (like Australia, where Coal power stations are the most common) - is the Volt really a green car? There are people on both sides of the fence, some arguing that the Volt would still create less CO2 that the average car, some arguing that it would produce more.

But I decided that this is irrelevant. The Chevrolet Volt present a way that everyone with a car can be carbon-negligible, and if governments were truly serious about making that a reality, they would continue the process that creates a green power grid with more renewable energy sources. With everyone driving Chevrolet Volts, the fault rests on the government if we are still producing heaps of CO2. Sort of like "well, we all went out and bought Chevy Volts so we could all go green, now it's your turn". Yeah, that's about right.

Downsides? It weighs 1750kg, so don't expect blistering performance, even if all that torque is available as soon as the tacho needle leaves 0 rpm. Will it be expensive? Only time will tell, but expect GM to make it as competitive as it possibly can. Why? Because GM is failing - without properly good sales, it will go bankrupt, just like everything else at the moment. It can see that the Volt could be a world-changing (but more importantly for them, profit-changing) car, provided people buy them buy the bucketload. And encouraging that will most definitely mean a price incentive.

In my belief, a car like the Chevrolet Volt should be partially subsidised by the american government, so that it reaches as many people as possible, and prevents climate change as much as it possibly can. If everyone in America (300 million) saved 5.9 tonnes a year like the Yaris driver (and most will save more), you're looking at nearly 2 billion tonnes of CO2 that the human race hasn't emitted. It's becoming more and more important, even for the future of the human race, that this car sells. And sells phenomenally. Because there just isn't a car anywhere in the world that makes negating carbon emissions so accessible and possible.

So when can we all buy one? In America, it will go on sale in late 2010 (if everything goes as planned), and elsewhere in the years following that. Expect it to arrive here at the earliest in 2012. It can't come soon enough.

I've given the US of A a bit of a sledging lately - but this is their chance to prove my sentiments unfounded. I want a Chevrolet Volt. I want an American Car. I never thought I'd say that, but I want an American Car. It is desirable.

NEWS: Chevrolet Volt to Save the Planet