Hybrid cars
Learn about gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles that use both gasoline powered internal combustion engines and electric motors
GM road-tests batteries for Volt electric car - Lithium-ion batteries being put into specially-equipped sedans for driving tests
WARREN, Michigan (AP) — The lithium-ion batteries to be used in General Motors’ Chevrolet Volt electric car will soon be installed and tested in specially-equipped versions of the Chevrolet Malibu, the company said.
This will allow the automaker to test the batteries in actual driving situations, the company said during a media event in the Detroit suburb of Warren.
According to GM’s plans, the Volt will be produced as a mainstream electric vehicle that can be recharged by being plugged into a household outlet. It will have a small gasoline engine that will be used only to recharge the vehicle’s batteries if they run down while driving.
Because of the extreme power demands involved in driving a car in the real world, the vehicle would be powered by lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are lighter and can store and release more power than the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in today’s hybrid cars.
Fully charged, the Volt should drive about 40 miles without using any gasoline, according to GM (GM, Fortune 500). The small conventional engine would extend that range allowing the car to get as much 150 miles per gallon, depending on the distance driven.
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