G.M. to Make Batteries for Volt in Michigan

GENERAL MOTORS will announce Monday that it will make lithium-ion battery packs to power the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and other extended-range electric vehicles at a new facility in Michigan. With the announcement, to be made during press preview days for the North American International Auto Show by Rick Wagoner, the company


Lithium-battery technology, already common in consumer devices like cellphones and laptop computers, is still being developed for the more demanding operating conditions of automobiles. Numerous types of battery chemistries are under consideration, but lithium ion is widely considered the leading candidate to meet the range and performance requirements of the next generation of electric and hybrid vehicles, including many of the future concept and production cars on display here in Detroit.

G.M.