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GM Aims for 20% Gain in EV Range for Chevy Volt

General Motors Co. hopes to boost the distance a Chevrolet Volt extended-range hybrid can travel without using its onboard recharger to at least 50 miles from about 38 miles today.
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General Motors Co. hopes to boost the distance a Chevrolet Volt extended-range hybrid can travel without using its onboard recharger to at least 50 miles from about 38 miles today.

CEO Dan Ackerson tells Bloomberg Radio it will take three years or more to achieve that goal. In the interview, which isn't scheduled to air until next month, he doesn't say whether GM aims to increase the Volt's range by improving its battery power, installing a larger battery or both.

The Volt's 16-kW lithium-ion battery initially cost nearly $800 per kilowatt-hour (more than $12,000) to build, according to Ackerson. He says that price has steadily dropped by an undisclosed amount since then, thanks to technical advances and higher production volume.

Earlier this week GM announced the 2014 Volt will retail for $35,000, or $1,000 less than the current price for a 2013 model.

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