CORRECTED-GM to road test Volt battery packs in July

(Corrects Lutz's title in first paragraph)

GOLETA, Calif., March 13 (Reuters) - General Motors Corp (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will road test lithium-ion battery packs for the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid beginning in July, slightly later than expected, Vice Chairman of Product Development Bob Lutz said on Thursday.

In an interview with Reuters, Lutz also said that GM may not name a battery supplier for the Volt's next-generation lithium-ion power supply until the second half of the year.

"We were hoping to do that in the first half," Lutz said when asked when GM would name a battery supplier. "That may also be a little bit longer now, as we need a better handle on who has the technological capability we need and who is going to have the production capability." (Reporting by Nichola Groom, editing by Dave Zimmerman)