Amped for Electric

A smiley‐faced electrical socket stood in for the zero on a banner announcing General Motors’ expectation of 230 miles per gallon rating for the Chevy Volt, its long‐awaited electric car introduced this week. This visible break from the company’s gas‐guzzling past earned enough praise from the media to justify the smile on GM’s face, but the enthusiasm with which some promote electric cars as a panacea for petroleum’s side‐ effects has raised significant questions.