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Went into the volt program to gm? >> this is very much a gm funded effort. >> mare bee bette is director of environmental and regulatory affairs. >> we are delighted we pay contributions in key areas. >> 200 million? >> around 200 million. >> start with around 200 million or more precisely a $240 million grant from the department of energy in 2009. then there's the $150 million in tax payer's money for a company in korea that makes the volts batteries. even with those sub citisidies volt sticker price is around 40,000 dollars compare that to 17,000 dollars for the chevy cruze. essentially the ...

>> greta: if you buy one that goes on gasoline by the time you make up that difference from a gasoline car, gasoline car to this type of car, a lot of driving to make it cost-effective. you have to be environmentally interested more than cost. >> if you are doing it for budget reasons you are not going to make out for many years. in this one in about five years you can make up the difference. >> greta: what about the prius? >> the prius, been out for 10 years. about a million have been sold in the u.s., two million nationally that is the gold standard for the hybrid industry. that kicked every...

Battery? >> it runs on the battery and the gasoline engine. the charging happens when you are slowing down the brakes charge the battery. >> greta: any hybrid suv's yet? >> there's been some for a while. they've had a hybrid s, v since 2005. the price difference toon the standard and the hybrid isn't that far. in the -- in the past about $2,000. you make it up there. i think it is 30 miles per gallon. >> greta: back to the all electrical cars. in houston they are building these electrical charging stations. is this country, around the nation or is houston the starting block? >> we would like t...

Battery? >> it runs on the battery and the gasoline engine. the charging happens when you are slowing down the brakes charge the battery. >> greta: any hybrid suv's yet? >> there's been some for a while. they've had a hybrid s, v since 2005. the price difference toon the standard and the hybrid isn't that far. in the -- in the past about $2,000. you make it up there. i think it is 30 miles per gallon. >> greta: back to the all electrical cars. in houston they are building these electrical charging stations. is this country, around the nation or is houston the starting block? >> we would like t...

Jon: general motors reports sales in august dropped almost 25 percent from a year ago. industry analysts say a shaky u.s. economy may be discouraging potential car buyers. wonder why. bad news is gm hopes to electrify the market with the fall launch of the chevy volt. mike tobin is live for us in detroit. so did gm deliver with the volt, mike? >> reporter: you know, you can't really answer that question without looking at how heavily the taxpayers are now invested in this project and gm. the bailout money that kept gm alive. billions and billions of dollars. the federal grants that went to cre...