General Motors has decided to produce the batteries powering the electric engine of the Chevrolet Volt, to be marketed in late 2010. To do so, the firm will build a plant in Michigan that will likely be the U.S.'s first lithium-ion battery production plant run by an automaker. Construction will begin in 2009 and finish in 2010.
In the meantime, the Volt's batteries will be produced by LG Chem. Compact Power Inc., the company that's been manufacturing the batteries powering the Chevrolet Volt prototype for the last 16 months. Apart from this battery plant, GM will open a laboratory where it will design, develop and test battery technologies. The American automaker has also partnered with the University of Michigan in order to train engineers in the field of battery technology.
The Chevrolet Volt, which will be marketed at the end of 2010, will be capable of travelling 64 kilometres on the electricity reserves of its lithium-ion battery. Past that point, a small, 50-kW generator, activated by a 3-cylinder, 1000-cc engine, will enable the battery to increase the Volt's operating range by several hundred kilometres. The 16-kWh battery is 1.8 metres long and weighs 181 kilos.
photo:General Motors
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In the meantime, the Volt's batteries will be produced by LG Chem. Compact Power Inc., the company that's been manufacturing the batteries powering the Chevrolet Volt prototype for the last 16 months. Apart from this battery plant, GM will open a laboratory where it will design, develop and test battery technologies. The American automaker has also partnered with the University of Michigan in order to train engineers in the field of battery technology.
The Chevrolet Volt, which will be marketed at the end of 2010, will be capable of travelling 64 kilometres on the electricity reserves of its lithium-ion battery. Past that point, a small, 50-kW generator, activated by a 3-cylinder, 1000-cc engine, will enable the battery to increase the Volt's operating range by several hundred kilometres. The 16-kWh battery is 1.8 metres long and weighs 181 kilos.
photo:General Motors