Chevy Volt battery testing going very well

On track for its 2010 launch

GM held a press conference today largely focused on the status of Chevy Volt battery testing. With more than 80 Volts on the road and 300 Volt battery packs under test, results have so far been excellent.

Thus far more than 1/4 million test miles have been completed, including hot weather and mountain testing - critical driving conditions for battery-powered vehicles. So far, the Volt has performed as expected.

Nonetheless, there have been some minor issues.

For instance noise, vibration and harshness are proving a bit more difficult than expected, although that's not unusual. Today's hybrid cars have experienced similar issues. More important, GM expects to resolve these noise problems.

Likewise, the Volt's battery chemistry has been undergoing minor tweaks as testing has identified small issues. Cell chemistry is on its 4th iteration, although all updates have been very minor. More important, there will be no further iterations or updates. Overall, the battery pack is well protected and the cells have worked perfectly thus far.

Ultimately, GM expects the battery pack to last at least 10 years, however, local weather and driving conditions could lengthen the life span of the battery pack according to GM.