Volt $$

Hey Jim - there are actually people out there who earn more than minimum wage.

To me $35K for a Volt is way too much. Why spend more $$ than you need to?

The "global-warming-is-a-fact" and the "we-must-save-the-polar-bears" crowd will buy one.

It's too much to me also, but to those who really want it and don't mind paying, it's not too much. There are plenty of early adopters in the world who have the financial resources, and the desire, to buy into new things like this early on. They do so, and in part, they enable the prices to come down for the masses.

By the time the Volt reaches the market, the price of ALL vehicles will be up because of the cost of meeting the new CAFE standards by 2012.

Because it is "saving the environment". Just like the people who buy the other hybrids and pay MORE for them than the conventional model. They are not doing it for any reason other than attention. So if they want to use them as status symbols. Make them pay for it.