Chevrolet today confirmed that the advanced Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery in its new Volt extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) will feature a standard and fully transferable eight-year/100,000-mile warranty, which it states is the industry’s "longest, most comprehensive battery warranty for an electric vehicle."
In addition to covering all 161 of the individual components contained in each Volt battery pack, this all-encompassing guarantee also extends to the car’s thermal management system, charging system and electric drive components. GM began building prototype battery packs last January at its state-of-the-art facility in Brownstown Township, Michigan. The first production units will start being assembled there starting in August.
According to Micky Bly, GM executive director, global electrical systems, "The Chevrolet Volt‘s batteries have exceeded our performance targets and are ready to hit the road." He noted that GM engineers have already run up over a million miles and four million hours of validation testing on the design, which uses LG Chem’s manganese-spinel Lithium-ion chemistry and features nine modules and 288 cells. In addition to computer controlled energy management and real-time diagnostics, the Volt’s battery also incorporates integral thermal management circuitry that allows it to be actively heated or cooled to optimize its durability and reliability. No other mass-market EV currently offers that on-demand capability. The Volt is scheduled to arrive in dealers sometime late this year.
