Chevy Volt, Could it Really Become a Reality?

If you attended this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit, you probably noticed the Volt, a concept car boasting 40 miles on a single charge of a plug-in battery. It was futuristic, sporty, and elegant. It was an idea, a really good idea.

Yesterday, GM entered into contracts with two battery suppliers, LG Chem and Continental Automotive Systems, with the hope of finding the right battery configuration for the Volt. But here's the rub--it's really the battery technology that is still a concept. The creation of the Volt depends on mass production of a battery that only exists in the lab environment at present.

From the Free Press:
"This technology is developing rapidly," Denise Gray, GM's director of hybrid energy storage devices, said. "These contracts are an opportunity to deeply understand the differing battery technologies before making a product decision."

Research and development is expensive and time consuming, but the only way to solve this puzzle. Good luck, GM. We're pulling for you.