AP Source: Chevrolet Volt electric car will carry longer battery warranty than usual

By AP
Wednesday, July 14, 2010

AP Source: Volt will carry longer battery warranty

DETROIT — General Motors Co. will guarantee the battery in the Chevrolet Volt electric car for a longer period than its conventional car warranties, according to a person briefed on the plans.

GM guarantees conventional car engines and transmissions for five years or 100,000 miles, but will guarantee the Volt battery for longer, the person said, who did not want to be identified because an announcement was scheduled Wednesday afternoon at the company’s battery pack assembly plant south of Detroit.

The rechargeable Volt is due in showrooms this November. The vehicle can travel 40 miles on battery power before a small gasoline engine takes over to power the car longer distances.

Texas, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Michigan, California and Washington, D.C., will be the first locations where the Volt will go on sale, GM CEO Ed Whitacre said earlier this month. The automaker plans to produce 10,000 Volts by the end of the 2011 calendar year and an additional 30,000 in 2012.

A GM official said last month it was still working out computer software issues in the Volt, mainly in areas that monitor the car’s complex electric power system.

The Volt is expected to cost around $35,000, though official pricing hasn’t been announced yet. That price will be lower after federal tax credits for electric cars.

Other automakers are rolling out electric cars. Shortly after the Volt goes on sale, Nissan Motor Co. will begin selling the Leaf, which the company says will get up to 100 miles on a single charge. The Leaf will not have a gasoline engine, but will be cheaper than the Volt.

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