General Motors is planning to unveil a plug-in hybrid concept car at Detroit auto show in January, according to the Los Angeles Times. According to a knowledgeable source cited by the newspaper, GM has developed a prototype that runs initially on power provided by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, switching to electricity provided by the onboard combustion motor when the battery charge was depleted.
Like all plug-in hybrids, it will be possible to plug the car into a home charging unit or into a publicly available recharger. “I hope this one can get from concept to showrooms,” Chris Paine, director of the recent film “Who Killed the Electric Car?”
GM “apparently recognizes that it is falling behind in the race for a piece of the ‘green’ vehicle market … and needs something it can get out there and sell in substantial numbers,” said Roland Hwang, vehicle policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “If it helps reduce global warming emissions and dependency on oil, then it is a plus,” he said.
