Chevrolet's $5,000 price cut on its Volt plug-in hybrid could indicate a lack of popularity for electric cars. But it could also signal that battery-powered rides have finally arrived in the automotive mainstream.

Ever since the Volt went on sale in late 2010, critics have said it is too expensive for most buyers. Knocking the cost down to about $35,000 from almost $40,000 puts in within the reach of a wider group of car shoppers.

Some of the state and federal subsidies and tax credits that are still available bring their sticker prices close to those of conventional cars.

But those incentives vary regionally and won't be around forever, so car makers will have to continue chipping away at electric-car prices to attract the typical buyer.

Other car makers have lowered prices to make electrics more appealing. Nissan lowered the price of its Leaf to $28,800 for 2012 from more than $35,000 the year before. BMW announced last month it would sell its coming i3 electric car for $41,350, which was less than some expected. Still, electrics are not cheap.