Chevrolet Beat electric displayed

GM India has showcased a battery-powered version of the Beat in the capital. It is powered by energy stored in a liquid-cooled 300-cell lithium-ion battery pack that weighs 270kg. The battery pack takes eight hours to charge 100 per cent from empty on a 240V power source. A full charge will provide a range of 130km and 27PS. The battery pack is a modified version of that present in the Volt, a plug-in hybrid that is proving popular in the uSA. This hints at the possibility that the Beat will head for production - India is an improbable market at present, but in mature markets where electric cars are an accepted alernative mode of transport, the Beat electric might just be offered as a green alternative to the diesel hatch. GM had until recently been developing an electric Spark in conjunction with Maini, the makers of the Reva, but severed ties when Mahindra and Mahindra purchased the Maini car division. It has since gone it alone and has emerged one of the leaders in the battery-powered passenger car market worldwide with the Chevy Volt and Opel Ampera.