General Motors' public offering filing gives a bit of insight into its electric car plans.

General Motors' public offering filing gives a bit of insight into its electric car plans.

In its filing, the Detroit automaker says it plans to "invest heavily in alternative fuel and advanced propulsion technologies between 2010 and 2012." This isn't shocking necessarily. The extended-range Chevrolet Volt comes out in November and GM has been banking on the Volt to prove that GM is still relevant and can produce technologies that can compete in the 21st century.

The Volt has a battery-powered engine that can take the car about 40 miles and then a gasoline engine that can get the car another 300.

Interesting to note, GM also says its still planning to develop "hydrogen fuel cell" vehicles admitting that "we are the only U.S. automobile manufacturer actively engaged in fuel cell development."

While GM's done 15 years of research and development in hydrogen fuel cells, it seems unlikely that the infrastructure to support hydrogen fuel cells will be deployed in any kind of timely manner. And I'm not the only one who thinks so (see "State commits $40M in funds for fuel feds say is a non-starter").

The risk section in the SEC filing points out issues that others, like Palo Alto electric car startup Tesla Motors, have also noted. For example, one risk is that many of the technology GM will rely on to make its electric or fuel cell cars are "not yet commercially practical and depend on significant future technological advances by us and by suppliers."

But GM's risks also give another insight that may indicate that GM isn't sure it can teach its old-dog self new tricks like a nimble startup like Tesla could.

"... our competitors and others are pursuing similar technologies and other competing technologies, in some cases with more money available, and there can be no assurance that they will not acquire similar or superior technologies sooner than we do or on an exclusive basis or at a significant price advantage."

Source: Lindsay Riddell, San Francisco Business Times