As automakers race to make cheaper electric cars with greater battery range, General Motors is working on one that can go 200 miles (320 kilometres) per charge at a cost of about US$30,000, a top company executive said.
Vice President of Global Product Development Doug Parks wouldn’t say when or if such a car will be built, however.
Currently GM sells the US$35,000 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, which can go 38 miles (61 kilometres) on electricity before a gas-powered generator kicks in. It also offers the all-electric Chevy Spark subcompact that can go 82 miles (132 kilometres) on a charge. It starts at US$26,685. Electric cars are eligible for a US$7,500 federal tax credit.
The 200-mile (320-kilometre) car would cost about the same as the current Volt, and it would match the range and be far cheaper than Tesla Motors’ US$71,000, all-electric Model S. The Model S can go up to 265 miles (426 kilometres) on a single charge.
A moderately priced electric car with a 200-mile range would make electric cars more appealing to Americans, solving the two chief complaints about such cars: Anxiety over running out of power and high price, said Tom Libby, lead North American analyst for the Polk automotive research firm.
“That would be a huge step forward, no question,” he said.