Could future Volts get 80-mile batteries?

Might a second-generation Chevy Volt feature 80 miles of gas-free driving? A high-tech company in Ohio certainly believes so and they hope to have a hand in making it happen. Applied Sciences Inc., located in sunny Cedarville, in a collaborative effort with Pyrograf Products Inc. are using carbon nano-fibers to enhance the electrodes that may one day wind up in the Chevy Volt's battery. The companies have already been working on their tech for two years and according to Applied Science's spokesperson John Mackay, "GM researchers say they have not seen any carbon materials that have performed as well as ours." The company has so far received $500,000 from the Detroit auto-maker for their efforts in addition to $1 million from the Ohio Third Frontier program. Specific details on how the nano-fibers help aid energy storage weren't given but we've seen work done with similarly-sized silicone before and suspect nano materials are indeed a tree worth barking up. It was also interesting to note that the companies in the contest to be the Volt's battery supplier go unmentioned as well. Could it be that GM wants to build their own batteries? Feel free to speculate away in the comments section after the break.

[Source: Dayton Daily News]