GM offers 8-year warranty on Volt batteries

General Motors is standing behind quality of the Chevrolet Volt and offering a standard, eight-year/100,000-mile warranty on the electric vehicle’s lithium-ion battery.

The longest battery warranty for electric vehicle in the industry, the automaker said yesterday the batteries have “exceeded” their performance targets making them confident it will deliver customer satisfaction.

The new battery warranty covers all 161 battery components, in addition to the thermal management system, charging system and electric drive components.

GM says the Volt is the only electric vehicle that can operate under a full range of climates and driving conditions without limitations or concern of a depleted battery.

The new unit has a range of about 340 miles and is powered with electricity at all times. For up to the first 40 miles, the Volt is powered solely by electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery, using no fuel and producing no emissions.

When the Volt’s lithium-ion battery runs low, an engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range another 300 miles on a full tank of fuel.

It is also the only mass-market electric vehicle with a battery that can be warmed or cooled. The battery is designed to work in temperatures as low as -13 degrees Fahrenheit (-25 C) and as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit (+50 C).

GM’s Brownstown Township plant, which began building prototype batteries in January, soon will begin regular battery production.  

“We’re moving fast to deliver for the customer and ensure the Volt launch stays on track,” said Nancy Laubenthal, plant manager of the Brownstown Battery Plant, adding that the Volts will be delivered to dealers before the end of this year.