Volt Will Offer Extended Battery Warranty

General Motors will guarantee the electric Chevrolet Volt’s battery for significantly longer than its traditional vehicle warranties, according to a source familiar with the plans.

General Motors guarantees gas-powered vehicle engines and transmissions for 100,000 miles or five years but plans to guarantee the battery of the Chevy Volt for longer, the source reported, who asked to remain anonymous because GM will make an announcement this afternoon at the automaker’s South Detroit battery pack assembly plant.

The rechargeable 2011 Chevrolet Volt will hit showrooms this November. The car can travel 40 miles solely on battery power before its modest gas engine kicks in to propel the vehicle longer distances.

New York, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, Texas, California, and Michigan will be the first places the Volt is sold, according to a statement by General Motors CEO Ed Whitacre in early July. The carmaker intends to produce 10,000 Volts by the conclusion of the 2011 calendar year and 30,000 more in 2012.

An official from General Motors reported last month that it was still ironing out computer software problems in the Chevrolet Volt, primarily in the areas that track the vehicle’s complicated electric power system.

The Volt will be priced at roughly $35,000, although an official price has not yet been announced. The total price will be lower once federal tax credits for electric vehicles are factored in.

Other carmakers are also debuting electric vehicles. Soon after the Volt goes on sale, Nissan will start selling the Leaf, which the automaker claims will travel up to 100 miles after a single charge. The Nissan Leaf will not come with a gas engine, but it will substantially cheaper than the Chevrolet Volt.