GM CEO says Volt on track, 2010 launch 'a stretch'

LAS VEGAS, Jan 8 (Reuters) - General Motors Corp. (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) has not hit any "glitches" in its race to develop the first-ever rechargeable hybrid vehicle but the planned 2010 launch of the closely watched Chevrolet Volt remains "a stretch," the automaker's chief executive said on Tuesday.

GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner also said the automaker's initial tests of a new-generation of lithium-ion batteries needed to power the Volt had been "favorable."

"No glitches," Wagoner said in response to a question about the Volt in a meeting with reporters on the sidelines of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

When GM first announced plans for the Volt a year ago, a "2010 (launch) was a stretch, and it's still a stretch," Wagoner said. (Reporting by Kevin Krolicki; Editing by Gary Hill