General Motors says tests show that its new extended-range electric car, the Chevrolet Volt, will be able to live up to its promise of traveling 40 miles on battery power alone. GM thinks that's far enough to allow most people to drive to work on electric power alone and get home without recharging or having the car's auxiliary gas engine kick in.
The automaker is now testing six Volts that recently were made at a Detroit factory. GM plans to start selling the cars in December, the Associated Press reports.
The AP reports that chief engineer Andrew Farah says he has gotten 41.5 and 42.5 miles on the batteries in his last two driving cycles around Detroit. Range depends on weather, terrain and driving habits and can vary 20% up or down.
The Volt has a lithium-ion battery and a small gas engine that generates power when the batteries are depleted. Farah says the car is on schedule to reach showrooms later this fall. The Volt is one of the most anticipated new cars.
