AUTOSHOW-GM CEO says Volt 'down to the wire' for 2010 launch

By Kevin Krolicki

BEIJING, April 20 (Reuters) - General Motors Corp (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is running "down to the wire" as it readies its plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt for a planned launch in 2010 and moving closer to picking a supplier for the next-generation battery packs that will power the electric car, GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said on Sunday.

"At this point the focus for us 100 percent is getting the Volt produced in the U.S.," Wagoner told reporters on the sidelines of the Beijing Auto Show. "So far, so good, but it's going to be right down to the wire to meet the production deadline we've set."

GM, which is counting on the Volt to show that it can compete with the likes of Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research) on fuel-saving technology, has said it intends to build the new rechargeable vehicle by the end of 2010.

That aggressive target has forced GM to compress the industry's established timeline for developing a new car by conducting experimental testing on the battery systems crucial to the Volt even as developers push ahead with work on the vehicle's other components.

GM is designing the Volt to run for 40 miles powered by a 400-pound lithium-ion battery pack that can be recharged at a standard electric outlet when the vehicle is parked. The car will also capture energy from braking like a traditional hybrid and feature an on-board engine that will be used only to send power to the battery.

The Volt marks one of the first attempts to adapt lithium-ion batteries, widely used in electronics gear such as laptop computers, to power a car, although Toyota is racing ahead with its own work on the same technology.

GM has been testing battery packs supplied by a subsidiary of Korea's LG Chem Ltd (051910.KS: Quote, Profile, Research) against the performance of a rival pack built by German auto parts supplier Continental AG using technology developed by privately held A123 Systems.

GM, which is already featuring the Volt in advertising, has said it wants to ensure that the hybrid car has a battery pack that can run at least 150,000 miles, last 10 years and allow drivers to accelerate to 60 miles per hour in less than 9 seconds.