GM, Ford Amping Up Electric Plans

In the midst of a race toward mass-produced electric plug-in hybrids, two domestic car manufacturers have recently taken some intriguing baby steps to reach that goal.

Ford delivered the first Escape Plug-In Hybrid at the Anaheim Convention Center in California this past week. The vehicle was given to Southern California Edison during the Electric Vehicle Symposium and is intended to signify the partnership between the utility company and the carmaker. If sold en masse, electric cars could put a strain on electric grids, hence the testing by the utility company.

At the same symposium, GM announced that partners LG Chem and Compact Power had delivered a second-generation test battery for its eagerly awaited Chevy Volt. GM is also working with another partnership of suppliers, A123 Systems and Continental AG, in hopes of creating an extended-range battery that can hold up under real driving conditions while providing enough power and safety to satisfy car buyers.

GM hopes to have the Volt — capable of driving up to 40 miles on just the plug-in electric charge and 640 miles with the aid of the gasoline engine and 12-gallon tank — ready for mass production by 2010.

Ford, for its part, offered no date for when a plug-in hybrid would be available to consumers in the Escape or any other vehicle.

GM Gets Second Test Battery for its Volt (Detroit Free Press)