The only reason we are dependent on imported fuels is because morons have made it take an act of God to tap into our own. And as for the Volt... Some of us want our vehicles to go further than that failed technology allows.
Not at all a failed technology, just a very expensive one at present. As the ICE was for the first 20 years of it's existance as a technology.
The EV will be the future in personel transportation. For two reasons. First, as the battery technology gets better, it will be cheaper to build than the ICE's, second, the homeowner can provide his own fuel with a set of solar panels, as well as power his home.
And there is a third advantage as well. As the technology build better and higher energy density batteries, as the vehicles begin to store 100+ kwh of energy, that will serve as an emergency backup for powering one's home in the event of a failure of the grid.