GM shows off its latest electric car - Detroit auto show

Electric vehicles slow to a catch on - particularly on the back of cheaper fuel prices at the pumps - but car makers charge ahead

General Motors CEO Mary Barra presents the Bolt EV electric concept vehicle at the North American International Auto Show
General Motors CEO Mary Barra presents the Bolt EV electric concept vehicle at the North American International Auto Show

While sales of new cars and SUVs are soaring, demand for electric vehicles is still sputtering along in the slow lane.

But that’s not stopping car firms from continuing to make huge investments in green vehicles, introducing one model after another.

On Monday at the annual Detroit auto show, General Motors - owners of the Opel brand amongst others - rolled out a refreshed Chevrolet Volt, which runs on battery power with a gasoline-engine backup, and also introduced the Volt's all-electric cousin, the Chevrolet Bolt, a concept car not yet in production.

And Korean carmaker Hyundai said that it would produce a plug-in hybrid version of its midsize Sonata saloon.

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They joined a host of other automakers that have rolled out electric cars in recent years. Ford has introduced an electrified version of its Ford Mondeo, and brands like Fiat and BMW produce small volumes of electric cars. More than 20 models, either all-electric or the kind with gas backup engines, called plug-in hybrids, have hit the market.

The announcements by GM and Hyundai are the latest attempt to find the winning formula for electric cars as automakers feel increasing pressure to meet stricter regulations for emissions and fuel economy.

Yet it is proving to be a tough sell. With fuel prices dipping and conventional petrol and diesel engines becoming more efficient, electrified cars are languishing in showrooms.

Sales of new cars and trucks in the United States increased about 6 per cent in 2014, to 16.5 million vehicles, marking the industry's best overall performance since 2007. But electrified models remain a tiny niche. Last year, car firms sold about 120,000 all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid

For electric cars to earn widespread adoption, they will have to increase their driving range. GM’s all-electric Bolt attempts to solve that by getting 200 miles on a single battery charge. GM executives declined to say when the car would come to market.

“We are pretty convinced that this is the right vehicle for the market at the right time,” said Alan Batey, GM’s chief of North American sales and marketing. “We would not be talking about the price and battery range if we weren’t able to make it happen.”

© 2015 New York Times News Service