GM CEO Dan Akerson revealed during an employee meeting this week that Envia Systems, a small battery company backed by GM, has made a major breakthrough in the field of lithium-ion batteries. Envia's new technology could double a battery's range while cutting costs in half.
"I think we've got better than a 50-50 chance to develop a car that will go to 200 miles on a charge," Akerson told the Detroit Free Press. "That would be a game changer."
GM's plug-in Chevrolet Volt currently has an all-electric range of about 35 miles.
In addition to being more energy dense, Envia says the new technology could also slash the cost of lithium-ion batteries by half.
GM didn't give a timeframe for when we might see Envia's battery technology used in a GM-branded vehicle.
