Are electric car skeptics going to be convinced by the Chevy Volt battery warranty?

The Chevy Volt lithium-ion battery is the part that General Motors is counting on for its future. To inspire confidence among potential buyers of a limited number of Chevy Volts, GM announced Wednesday the Volt’s lithium-ion battery will be guaranteed for eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Chevy Volt battery different from other electric cars

The battery for the Chevy Volt is better than GM’s convention car engines and transmissions exact same warranties. Comparable warranties are placed on hybrid car models such as the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape, according to CNN. But the Volt’s lithium-ion battery uses a chemistry different from Ford and Toyota. The car can be powered for 40 miles with just the battery which is a concern for some.

Volt battery is expected to last numerous years reports GM

A GM spokesman told CNN that the Chevy Volt lithium-ion battery warranty will be transferable to a new autoloans when the original buyer wants to sell the electric car. GM really wants this longer warranty to help convince those who are skeptic of it that the Volt’s lithium battery will last much longer. It was reported by the Associated Press the batteries wear out like computer and cell phone batteries and are hard to replace. The 400 pound Volt battery will probably cost thousands to replace.

GM confident in Volt battery technology

With a 120-volt power, the Volt battery can charge in 8-10 hours when in a 240-volt hookup, it only takes 4 hours. Auto Week reports the GM warranty will cover the lithium-ion battery’s 161 components. The Electric drive components, thermal management system, and electric drive components will even be covered by the warranty. The Volt battery has a liquid heating and cooling system, meant to extend the battery’s life by keeping it at optimal temperatures, and GM has confidence in this which is what allows them to have the longer warranty. The Volt is the only such mass-market car with a liquid-powered thermal management system. The Nissan Leaf electric car, available in December, has an air-cooled battery.

Chevy Volt has a wait list

After being convinced to borrow money for the Chevy Volt lithium-ion battery, you nevertheless probably can’t get one unless you are lucky. Another CNN article about the Volt said GM plans to build only 10,000 Volts in 2011. 30,000 Volts are planned to be made in 2012, but that won’t meet demands nevertheless. GM also plans to only sell the car in certain places. The Volt will initially only be sold in six states and the District of Columbia. With limited supply, expect to pay more for your Volt than its advertised sticker price of about $ 40,000–or about $ 32,000 after federal tax credits for electric cars.

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CNN
money.cnn.com/2010/07/14/autos/volt_battery_warranty/?npt=NP1
Associated Press
google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jG137SoV7h3AdI0SyNe4d5rVeicQD9GUVQU83
Auto Week
autoweek.com/article/20100714/GREEN/100719940