TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Early versions of the Chevrolet Volt’s battery packs are powerful enough to run the high-stakes rechargeable car, but dozens of issues remain before General Motors can start selling the revolutionary vehicle in 2010 as planned. The Volt’s chief engineer is on a tight schedule to figure out how the car will handle the batteries’ weight, dissipate their heat and mechanically transfer their power to the wheels. That’s not to mention the list of issues that have nothing to do with the fact that the car plugs into the wall for recharging.
“At this point, there’s nothing standing in our way of continuing to do what we said we’re going to do,” Andrew Farah said.
The Volt is designed to travel 40 miles on a full charge, and a small gasoline engine is to recharge the batteries to keep it rolling on longer trips. GM says the vehicle, which is to cost $30,000 to $40,000 and begin selling in 2012, will get the equivalent of 150 miles per gallon. The Associated Press; AP file photo
