ChargePoint

This week GM revealed the price of its Chevy Volt electric car as the automaker looks to draw buyers looking for a more eco-friendly mode of transportation.

With just a 40-mile range on a charge from an electric power source for the Volt, and about 100 miles for the electric Nissan Leaf, however, drivers will need to always be on the lookout for their next sip of juice. (The Volt does have an internal combustion engine that can recharge the battery en route, extending the range to 340 miles.) Manufacturers call this "range anxiety" and are hoping a new grid of charging stations will lay the foundation for sales of emission-free vehicles.

The city of San Jose, Calif., on Thursday talked up its commitment to the electric vehicle, unveiling the first of 1,600 charging station locations in the Bay Area as part of the ChargePoint America program, run by Coulomb Technologies.