July 22, 2008 - General Motors has enrolled the Electric Power Research Institute, a trade group for U.S. utilities, to help drum up interest in its Chevy Volt electric car, Reuters reports.

The Volt, slated for production in 2010, can drive 40 miles at a stretch on a lithium-ion battery pack that can be recharged at a standard electric outlet.

But GM and the many other automakers planning electric-vehicle rollouts have yet to determine how these cars will be easily recharged and the impact the technology will have on both the auto and energy industries.

Experts believe that strategic partnerships like that of GM and EPRI will help to build public confidence in electric cars. EPRI members make up 90% of the U.S. electricity grid.

"GM was unsuccessful in the commercialization of electric cars before," says Felix Kramer, founder of CalCars, a nonprofit group that promotes plug-ins. "This time, they realize they need partners."

This is not the first major automaker to join forces with EPRI. Ford partnered with the group earlier this year.