CES 2016: Automakers woo tech enthusiasts to revive electric car sales

Beyond technology enthusiasts represented by CES attendees, demand for hybrid and electric vehicles is slumping thanks to cheap gasoline

CES 2016, automobiles, self driving vehicles, electric cars, GM, Volkswagen, faraday future, Tesla Motors, tech news, technology

GM Chief Executive Mary Barra is expected to show a production version of the Chevrolet Bolt electric car (Source: Chevrolet)

Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co are expected to disclose new details of their electric vehicle strategies at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, highlighting efforts to stoke consumer enthusiasm for battery-powered cars to match growing regulatory demands to build them.

Herbert Diess, head of the Volkswagen brand, is expected to reveal at CES on Tuesday a prototype electric vehicle offering “affordable long-distance electric mobility,” the company said. VW watchers expect it will be a variant of a microbus – linking the German automaker’s plans to launch 20 battery-powered or plug-in hybrid vehicles by 2020 to a beloved model from the past.

VW’s redoubled bet on electrification is part of an effort to repair damage done by revelations that it sold millions of diesel vehicles worldwide that used software to cheat emissions tests and run dirty on the road.

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GM Chief Executive Mary Barra, scheduled to give a CES address on Wednesday afternoon, is expected to promote GM’s vehicle electrification efforts. Barra is expected to show a production version of the Chevrolet Bolt electric car, which GM has said will offer a 200-mile (320-km) range and sell alongside a new Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid starting next year.