<div id="subtitle">GM will make electric-only version of Volt by removing engine, adding battery power, exec says</div><div><p>General Motors Co. will build a pure-electric vehicle by expanding the Chevrolet Volt's battery pack and removing its internal combustion engine, Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said Monday.</p><p>It's the next step for the Volt, a car the company says can run 40 miles on a charge from a standard home power outlet. After the battery wears down, a 1.4-liter four-cylinder internal combustion engine takes over and generates electricity to power the car.</p><p>It's due to go on sale this fall at a cost of about $40,000, before tax credits.</p><p>Lutz would not say exactly when the pure-electric version would make it into showrooms, but said it would be "technologically trivial" to switch out the internal combustion engine.</p><p>Lutz told reporters at the Detroit auto show that GM could quickly expand the Volt's battery pack and take out the engine to build a fully electric car similar to Nissan's Leaf.</p><p>The Leaf, also to go on sale in the U.S. late this year, can get up to 100 miles on an electric charge but must be recharged or have a new battery installed to go any further.</p><p>The Volt, Lutz said, eliminates "range anxiety" as the car gets close to depleting its batteries.</p><p>But there may be a market for pure-electric vehicles for people who travel less, or GM could need it to meet government fuel economy regulations, he said.</p><p>"Once you've done the Volt, pure electric is trivial. You just leave some parts out," Lutz said.</p><p>Lutz also said electric vehicles may not get the stated range on fully electric power because of weather, atmospheric conditions, terrain and driving habits. He said he had a Volt during the Thanksgiving weekend and got only 28 miles on full-electric power because of the cold weather.</p><p>"It varies a lot more than the range variation with a gasoline-powered car depending on your driving style," Lutz said.</p><p>The Volt equipped with the internal combustion engine was unveiled three years ago. Once it goes on sales later this year, it will qualify for up to $7,500 in tax credits.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=66717141&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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