I'm interested in a 2012 Volt but I'm concerned about the longevity of the current generation lithium ion battery technology. Articles from various sources such as the DOE (deptartment of energy) are indicating that replacement battery technologies may soon double or triple the capacities of such batteries or that hydrogen fuel cell technologies may soon be viable. While the hydrogen alternatives aren't much of a concern due to the lack of hydrogen station infrastructure, the new battery technologies are a concern. It woudl seem that such batteries would greatly undermine the value of the Volt and make the car somewhat obsolete along with the batteries. Will Chevrolet replace the expensive batteries as this technology progresses? Does anyone know the timeline of when these replacement batteries will be on the market and available for future Volts?

This is basically the only impediment I have in investing in a Volt. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

The exact future of Volt replacement batteries, and replacements for any of the plug ins is still up in the air. The technology will change a couple times before the OEM batteries wear out. Worse case scenario, you can not replace the battery when it wears out, and get the thirty to forty mpg on gas.

I'm not worried. With more Volts on the road all the time, battery development and production are assured. That said, nobody know exactly what lies 8 years down the road.

Personally, I think there is a huge upside going forward.

Why worry, 12-21-12 is less than ten months away! :-) Does buying such a car make economic sense for your now? Can you afford it?