Envia Systems of Newark, California, in collaboration with General Motors, has increased the amount of energy a lithium-ion battery can hold.  GM has stated it will take a vehicle up to 200 within a couple of years.  The new technology will cut battery costs in half.  GM Venture LLC invested $17 million in Envia in 2011.  "These little companies come out of nowhere, and surprise you," said GM's CEO Dan Akerson.