March 11, 2011 02:48 am EDT

GM looking to offer lower-cost, shorter-range Volt?

We've certainly had some complaints about the Chevrolet Volt, including mediocre highway mileage, but far and away it's that $41,000 MSRP keeping it from being a real contender for mass adoption. Now we're hearing rumors that GM is thinking about down-sizing the car's batteries in an attempt to drop that price as well. The battery pack is far and away the most expensive single component in the car and the thought is that a reduction of the pure EV range to just 20 miles (down from its current 30 - 50) could have a whopping $10,000 reduction in cost. That would mean buyers would dip into the gas tank a little sooner but be a lighter on their bank accounts -- at least in the beginning.

GM looking to offer lower-cost, shorter-range Volt? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PermalinkAutoblog Green | FavStocks ||Comments

Original Link: http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/10/gm-looking-to-offer-lower-cost-shorter-range-volt/

View Full Article

Engadget

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics. Engadget was launched in March of 2004 in partnership with the Weblogs, Inc. Network (WI

More About this Source Visit Engadget