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"   GENEVA \u2014 The relentless pursuit to perfect lithium-ion batteries has put General Motors in the lead. Well, that&amp;#039;s what GM says anyway. As PM broke down in detail from the labs last month, every major automaker is working hard on validating its li-ion packs. But here at the Geneva Motor Show, GM seems uber-confident that it&amp;#039;s on the right track.   Officials from the General announced that the company has developed a second generation of lithium-ion batteries that will generate three times more power than the nickel-metal hydride (NIMH) batteries they&amp;#039;ll replace in all future GM hybrid research and production vehicles. The li-ion package is said to use up to 24 percent less space, weigh 40 percent less and deliver one-third more power than those NIMH batteries.   And in a surprising move, GM execs said here that they&amp;#039;ll eventually be in a position to manufacture well over 100,000 of the next-gen packs\u2014per year\u2014beginning in 2010. And they&amp;#039;ll be used inside hybrid vehicles in combination with naturally aspirated gasoline engines, turbocharged gasoline engines, bio-fuel engines and diesels.   GM expects li-ion packs to offer boosts in fuel economy of up to 15-20 percent, depending on a vehicle&amp;#039;s size and shape, implementing the hybrid system currently offered in its Saturn Vue Green Line, Saturn Aura Green Line and Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid vehicles.   And they&amp;#039;ll do it with a combination of technologies, including engine shutdown at traffic stops, larger electric motors for better performance, fuel shutoff on deceleration, greater levels of regenerative braking and, of course, pure electric propulsion.   Mercedes-Benz made a similar announcement just days earlier, touting its upcoming implementation of lithium-ion batteries in diesel hybrid systems in a large luxury car prototype called the S400 Hybrid. \u2014Jim McCraw   RELATED STORIES \u2022 DRIVE GREEN: Inside Lithium-Ion&amp;#039;s Race to Production  \u2022 COMPLETE COVERAGE: Live First Looks From Geneva   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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