Chevrolet has announced some of the changes they will make to the next generation of the Volt. The changes include a new battery, different electric motors, a new gasoline generator, and a refined charging system.

The new car’s battery will be 20% more energy dense, while the cell count drops from 288 to 192. The cells are now positioned lower in the pack to improve center of gravity, and the pack is now almost 30 pounds lighter.

The car will feature new Voltec electric motors that are both lighter (together the two motor drive unit weighs approximately 100 pounds less than the current system) and more efficient (by approximately 5 to 12 percent according to GM), and which use significantly less rare earth magnets in their construction. Both electric motors will now be able to operate together in more driving scenarios (in both EV and extended-range operation), which helps improve acceleration by more than 20% in some situations. The Traction Power Inverter Module, which controls the power flow between the battery and the electric motors, has now been built into the drive unit to reduce size and mass while further improving efficiency.