Electric cars are green and cool, but range has been a limiting factor for this new breed of automobiles. American electric car maker, Tesla, has been a leader in this field and claims that it’s Model S Long Range saloon has a range of 390 miles (about 630 kilometres). General Motors has announced a new electric car battery that provides a driving range of over 400 miles (about 643 kilometres). GM also says this new battery is cheaper to produce.
If GM’s claims are accurate, we are looking at a double whammy against Tesla and indeed the rest of the competition.
Electric cars function by replacing fuel combustion engines in traditional cars with an electric motor. This electric motor is powered by a rechargeable battery. As we all know, batteries are limited in how much lower they can store, which is why electric cars face the problem of range.
The driving range of an electric vehicle is dependent on how far the battery will hold out on a full charge during a drive. Tesla has the records for the longest, with a top range of 390 miles.
GM is set to change that as it puts the new electric car battery to use in its new electric car models. The GM Cruise Origin is one of those cars. Others include Cadillac Celestiq, Cadillac Lyriq, and Chevrolet Bolt EUV, among others.
Tesla currently has a strong hold on the electric car industry in the United States of America. Competitors like GM, Hyundai, and Ford, among others, are looking to grab a bigger slice of the market and possibly break Tesla’s monopoly.
10 extra miles in driving range from the new electric car battery from GM may not seem like much on paper, but in practical terms on the road, it really is. Now, we wait to see it in action in General Motor’s new models.