Gm Looking For Cheaper Batteries.

[Fujisan]

"Batteries for the next generation Chevrolet Volt and Vauxhall Ampera will be developed to reduce costs, rather than increase performance or range, according to one of GM’s leading Battery experts."

Full story here.

Kind of makes sense, especially if you have an ICE aboard, like the Volt, for longer journey's.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

"Batteries for the next generation Chevrolet Volt and Vauxhall Ampera will be developed to reduce costs, rather than increase performance or range, according to one of GM’s leading battery experts."

Full story here.

Kind of makes sense, especially if you have an ICE aboard, like the Volt, for longer journey's.

It's a dud link Mr Fuji

[Fujisan]

Working now Mr Cabbie

(To many http//'s )

[wooski]

To be honest this is one of those articles that states the obvious - its a non story.

EVERYONE wants better Battery tech and cheaper batteries, and everyone is working on it. There are some interesting tech papers coming out of MIT (1 guy apparently has lithium batteries storing 100 times more charge in the lab); but when any of this experimental technology reaches production is anyone's guess.

Lithium batteries are just too expensive.

[Fujisan]

To be honest this is one of those articles that states the obvious - its a non story.

EVERYONE wants better battery tech and cheaper batteries, and everyone is working on it.

I see it a little more subtly than that. Reading between the lines, the guy from GM was saying we could give you batteries in the future that will take up the same space and cost the same as the batteries in the (Gen I) Volt and give you (for example) twice the electric range. But we (GM) have decided that you really don't need to go further than 40 miles on Battery power.

Yes, cheaper batteries, hence cheaper cars is nice.

Yes, batteries that take up less space is nice.

But would you rather had a car with a (useable) electric range of 100 miles or only 40 miles before the ICE cut's in and started burning petrol / money?

[wooski]

To be honest this is one of those articles that states the obvious - its a non story.

EVERYONE wants better battery tech and cheaper batteries, and everyone is working on it.

I see it a little more subtly than that. Reading between the lines, the guy from GM was saying we could give you batteries in the future that will take up the same space and cost the same as the batteries in the (Gen I) Volt and give you (for example) twice the electric range. But we (GM) have decided that you really don't need to go further than 40 miles on Battery power.

Yes, cheaper batteries, hence cheaper cars is nice.

Yes, batteries that take up less space is nice.

But would you rather had a car with a (useable) electric range of 100 miles or only 40 miles before the ICE cut's in and started burning petrol / money?

With current tech - the latter for sure. Until they can get 300 + miles range and recharging in less than 15 minutes it's the way to go. If some of the experitmental Battery tech reaches production you could see this happenning - a 100 fold increase in charge would lead to a 10 times smaller Battery with approx 400 mile range....

BTW I would assume here that GM is also doing what Toyota is doing to preseve the battery - ie "empty" is actually 40% charge and "full" is actually 85%.

[Fujisan]

Until they can get 300 + miles range and recharging in less than 15 minutes it's the way to go.

300 miles range and 15 minute, yes that would be nice

Who knows when but the way technology is advancing I'm sure we will see it one day.

[timberwolf]

300 miles range and 15 minute, yes that would be nice

Who knows when but the way technology is advancing I'm sure we will see it one day.

It is long overdue, Battery technology hasn't really improved much since it was first invented. And where does most of our electricity come from?, basically most power stations still heat up water and use the steam to drive turbines connected to generators! Welcome to the steam driven Victorian ages still! :)