Cedarville, Ohio (AP) -- General Motors Corp.'s new electric car is still two years away, but already two Dayton area companies are working to make the Chevrolet Volt better.
GM has said when the Volt arrives in late 2010, a lithium ion battery will power it up to 40 miles on a single charge.
In Cedarville, Applied Sciences Inc. and co-owned Pyrograf Products Inc. want to see if that range can be doubled.
Applied Sciences Spokesman John Mackay says the research and development firm is working on replacing some of the three pounds of carbon in the battery with tiny carbon fibers.
He says a lighter battery would perform better.
Mackay says sister company Pyrograf is the world's third largest producer of carbon nanofibers so is in a strong position to supply them for the Volt.
(Copyright 2008 by the Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
