GM to road test Volt battery packs in July

GOLETA, Calif., March 13 (Reuters) - General Motors Corp (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) will road test lithium-ion battery packs for the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid beginning in July, slightly later than expected, Chief Executive Bob Lutz said on Thursday.

In an interview with Reuters, Lutz also said that GM may not name a battery supplier for the Volt's next-generation lithium-ion power supply until the second half of the year.

"We were hoping to do that in the first half," he said when asked when GM would name a battery supplier. "That may also be a little bit longer now, as we need a better handle on who has the technological capability we need and who is going to have the production capability." (Reporting by Nichola Groom, editing by Leslie Gevirtz)