Chevrolet Volt

[BigPontiac]

Shown: Photo of Chevrolet Volt

Advance Copy: The New York Times; Sunday 01/07/07:

Page 12-1; Additional photos are on page 12-2.

Top Speed: 120MPH

0-60 Acceleration: 8.5 Seconds

Range: 640 Miles (with batteries and on-board generator).

Battery only range: 40 Miles

Weight: 3200 pounds

Recharge Time: 6.5 Hours

Article content:

"General Motors will unveil an electric concept car, the Chevrolet Volt, which has created the most buzz in advance of the (NAIAS) show. GM says the Volt, a plug-in hybrid, could deliver the equivalent of 150 miles a gallon.

The Volt thus promises - at least in theory, given that it would not be produced without a leap in battery technology - three times the mileage of a Toyota Prius."

When General Motors unwraps the Chevrolet Volt for the press today (Sunday 01/07/07), it will be revealing much more than the latest fantasy from its styling studios.

Beyond its striking coupe-like lines, the Volt is also a declaration of GM's intent to mass-produce a new type of hybrid-electric vehicle, one that can drive up to 40 miles on batteries alone and recharge itself with an onboard generator - or by plugging into a standard 110-volt household outlet.

The Volt is also less than it appears. The batteries to make it roadworthy do not yet exist, a shortcoming GM acknowledges.

The squat four-seat hybrid sedan previews a new family of plug-in electric drive systems that GM calls E-Flex. The system, which the company plans to begin installing globally when the batter technology is mature, will be capable of delivering the equivalent of 100 miles a gallon or more in urban driving, GM officials said. The Volt's total range is 640 miles using the combined capacity of fully charged batteries and a built-in gasoline-powered generator.

While hybrids like the Toyota Prius can drive short distances on batter power and make longer trips using a thrifty gasoline engine, the Volt's gas engine is not connected to the wheels. It turns only a generator to charge the battery pack, a design typically called a series hybrid, and operates in a narrow RPM range for maximum efficiency.

In the Volt, the E-Flex drive system consists of a small three-cylinder gas engine, a 53-kilowatt generator and a long lithium-ion battery pack that forms a spine down the center of the car's floor.

To maximize batter life, the engine that drives the generator automatically kicks in when the battery's charge falls below 30% of capacity and shuts off when the battery charge reaches 80% of maximum; at that point E-flex reverts to pure electric mode.

"We've dubbed this feature a 'range extender'" said Robert A. Lutz, GM's vice chairman for product development. "It also provides a steady flow of electricity to get the vehicle home or to the nearest charging plug."

GM is planning to offer E-flex power systems in all major world markets. The company's next generation compact car platform due in 2009, has been designed to accept an E-Flex battery pack, generator and related hardware.

While development of the new electric drive system has already begun, the company can not set a production schedule until the proper batteries are ready, said Nick Zielinski, the Volt's chief engineer.

[PONTIAC06]

This sounds pretty cool, and way better then anything Toyota can do. The fact that the 2009 iteration of Delta can accept the technology hopefully means it will be available relatively soon.

[SoCalCTS]

New York Times story

[pow]

Awesome. More here...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/automobiles/07VOLT.html

[loki]

sounds awesome! even better than this battery would be a capacitor w/ nano tech

i wonder if the engine is attached to the wheels at all? doesn't sound like it.