GM To Upgrade Chevy Volt

2011 Chevy Volt

GM announced plans to upgrade its only electric vehicle, the Chevy Volt, shortly after its initial release in late 2010. Specifically, GM is looking at improving the battery that powers the Volt by driving down the size and the cost of it. The 400 pound battery is the most expensive element in the vehicle, and producing a competitively priced vehicle is vital to GM’s recovery and continued existence in the United States. Improve the Volt’s range on a single charge, which as it stands is set at only 40 miles, is not part of the plan for upgrades, according to GM executive Frank Weber. “My goal is not to go from 40 to 60 miles in the next generation vehicles,” Weber said of the Volt’s range.

Instead, GM is focusing on cost and weight. Several smaller startup companies already have vehicles for sale that match or exceed the Volt’s 40-mile range. Canada’s Zenn Motor Co will release an all-electric vehicle later this year with a range of 250 miles on a single charge and a top speed of 80 MPH. The current model of the Zenn has a range of 30-50 miles on a charge, costs under $13,000, and is available right now.