Addressing the Detroit Economic Club, she announced an all-new, all-American version of GM's electric Volt -- more powerful, with a longer range, built from parts made entirely in the automaker's home state.
"All of the Volt's major components -- the battery cells, the battery pack, the electric drive unit, and the gas motor -- will be made in Michigan," Barra said.
Barra told the crowd that 70,000 Volt hybrid owners have driven half a billion gas-free, all-electric miles, averaging under 40 miles per trip, and averaging more than 970 miles between visits to the gas station.
Drivers are "routinely" getting 100 to 200 miles per gallon, Barra said.
Another startling number: Barra told her audience that of the $5 billion GM has invested in Michigan since 2009, $1.8 billion has gone toward the company's vehicle electrification efforts.
Barra concluded her feisty talk by asserting her company's plan for victory.
"I want to win," Barra said. "Not get by. Not hold on. Not be competitive. But win. If we aren't here to win, to lead, to excel, why are we here?"
Accompany details released by the company suggest the new Volt will debut at the annual North American International Auto Show in Detroit, in January, and will be in dealerships by mid-2015.
The new Volt battery pack will have 20% more storage capacity, and be 30 pounds lighter, GM said. A new drive unit will shed an additional 100 pounds off the current vehicle.
The car will also feature a new, improved 1.5L 4-cylinder Range Extender gasoline engine, designed to increase the vehicle's driving range.
Barra also used the event to advertise GM's new V2X wireless technology. When it arrives, in the 2017 Cadillac CTS, it will wirelessly connect vehicles to each other, and to the Internet, with the promise of a reduction in accidents and other improvements in safety records.
GM will work in concert with the University of Michigan, Barra said, to create a "connected corridor" along 120 miles of Detroit highway, to began testing V2X connected vehicles.
During her first year as CEO of the auto giant, Barra has weathered a devastating series of product recalls, for vehicles with faulty ignition switches linked to at least 50 accidents and 13 deaths. The company has set aside billions of dollars to prepare for settlements and related costs.
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