Report: Chevy Volt will only go 25 miles on battery power - or maybe 50

When the Chevrolet Volt was unveiled back in January 2007, here's what we wrote based on the information General Motors was giving out:

The Volt has a range of about 40 miles on the battery alone ... However, when the fuel tank is filled to its capacity of 12 US gallons of gas, the Volt has a range of 640 miles. In addition, the Volt ICE is fully flex fuel capable and can run on any combination of gasoline or ethanol up to E85.

Since then, the E85 capability has been dropped, the gas tank was shrunk to an expected nine gallons and, today, the oft-cited 40-mile range is also in question thanks to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission about GM's mid-November IPO. GM spokesman Rob Peterson told the AP that GM's new official stance is that the Volt will be able to travel anywhere between 25 and 50 miles on battery power before the gas-powered range extender kicks in. What will affect the range? The usual suspects: how you drive, the temperature (outside and inside the car), hills and, "the age of the lithium-ion batteries." Peterson told the AP that the range estimate has changed because GM engineers have now had more time to test the Volt's powertrain. So, who's surprised? Thanks to Roy B for the tip!

[Source: AP]