The Chevy Volt lithium-ion battery is the part that General Motors is counting on for its future. To inspire confidence among potential buyers of a limited number of Chevy Volts, GM announced Wednesday the Volt’s lithium-ion battery can be guaranteed for eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Electric cars have different batteries from the Chevy Volt
The Chevy Volt battery warranty is better than warranties on GM’s conventional car engines and transmissions, which run for five years or 100,000 miles. According to CNN, Comparable warranties for battery packs are on the Toyota Prius, Ford Escape, and other popular hybrid models. But the Volt’s lithium-ion battery uses a chemistry different from Ford and Toyota. Many individuals are worried as the battery works alone for up to 40 miles before using gas.
GM thinks batter for the Volt will last many years
A GM spokesman told CNN that the Chevy Volt lithium-ion battery warranty will be transferable to a new auto loan for bad credit when the original buyer wants to sell the electric car. GM hopes the longer warranty will help convince electric car skeptics that the Volt’s lithium-ion battery will last for numerous years. The Associated Press reports that the Volt’s battery is comparable to the chemical composition of cell phone and computer batteries, which often wear out and are costly to replace. The Volt battery weighs 400 pounds and will likely cost thousands of dollars to replace.
GM confident in Volt battery technology
Through a 240-volt hookup, the Volt battery can charge in 4 hours, and on a 120-volt hookup, it can charge in eight to ten hours. 161 components of the lithium-ion battery are covered by the GM warranty as outlined by Auto Week. The Electric drive components, thermal management system, and electric drive components will even be covered by the warranty. GM has the longer warranty because of their confidence in the battery which has a heating and cooling system that should extend the battery’s life when keeping it at optimal temperatures. This liquid powered thermal management system is only on the Volt. An air cooled battery is on the Nissan Leaf, which will be available in December.
Chevy Volt has a wait list
If the Chevy Volt lithium-ion battery warranty has convinced you to borrow money to own one, you need to get lucky. Another CNN article about the Volt said GM plans to build only 10,000 Volts in 2011. Demands nevertheless won’t be met in 2012 when 30,000 Volts are created. The car is also limited to where it is sold. The Volt will initially only be sold in six states and the District of Columbia. If you really want a Volt, the $ 40,000 advertised price, or $ 32,000 after tax credits, is probably the lowest you’d end up paying.
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CNN
money.cnn.com/2010/07/14/autos/volt_battery_warranty/?npt=NP1
Associated Press
google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jG137SoV7h3AdI0SyNe4d5rVeicQD9GUVQU83
Auto Week
autoweek.com/article/20100714/GREEN/100719940
