• Detroit Free Press, Austin American-Statesman, Tuesday, April 13, 2010 10:49 AM

Testing on early models of the Chevrolet Volt -- an extended-range electric car that begins production in November -- shows that it is generally hitting its 40-mile goal of running on electricity before the gasoline generator kicks in, Tim Higgins reports.

Although terrain and weather have an impact on range, Volt chief engineer Andrew Farah says he's "very confident that the batteries are delivering the energy that they need to deliver and that the vehicle's efficiencies are where it should be."

General Motors said yesterday that it would invest $8 million to double the size of its global battery systems lab in Warren, Mich., to improve testing of battery cell, module and pack technologies, enabling it to put more efficient vehicles such as the Volt on the road more quickly and affordably.

The Austin American-Statesman's Brian Garr, meanwhile, reports that Whole Foods Market opened its first electric vehicle charging station at its flagship downtown store. It offers a 110-volt charge; a 220-volt option will be added in the coming weeks. It's free now, but it will start charging -- about half as much as filling it with gas -- later in the year.

"We've always thought hard about environmental issues and what we can do to help that," says southwest regional president Mark Dixon. "To me, this is just a no-brainer." The installation expense was less than $2,000, plus the cost of equipment, he says.

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