Chevrolet Volt – Meet an Electric Car
Electrical car and General Motors are in the same sentence again and not because of EV1.
Earlier this year GM has unveiled its new electrical car concept – Chevy Volt (pictured). One of the first features that come to mind is the looks – an important detail in successfully getting the vehicle on the market. I think it was a great idea to use a brand new design so that the vehicle stands apart on the road and the owner is recognized as an environmentally conscious person. Many companies use regular car bodies for their hybrids (Toyota Prius is a notable exception) and they unnecessarily blend in the rest of the crowd without giving the owners the due recognition.
Anyways, let’s look inside the Chevy Volt concept:
The most important feature in my mind is the fact that the car is completely driven by electrical motor which gives GM engineers ability to combine the drivetrain with different sources of backup power – 1.0 liter gasoline engine, diesel, pure ethanol (E100) or biodiesel as well as, potentially, hydrogen fuel cells. This power source flexibility gave the name to the system – “E-Flex”.
The motor (or cells) are only engaged when the battery gets depleted which is a stark contrast with Prius that’s designed to never let them go below half of their charge and runs the engine for too long. One pleasant feature of completely electric propulsion in a car is the smoothness of the ride unattainable with a combustion engine. I like it when my Prius runs on batteries only (below 20MPH and only slight acceleration) – smooth and quiet.
The car is said to be able to drive 40 miles on electric charge only which, by GM’s words should be enough for 70% of U.S. population to get to the work and back. This is where I think GM’s marketing department is going to have an issue to address in their commercials because a fuel-saving car is obviously more attractive to those people with long commute such as myself (100+ miles a day). Volt is definitely going to cost more than a traditional car and so the price difference may be a big factor here. On the other hand, we don’t know what the price of gas is going to look like in 2012 – a soft production start date. Maybe the gas price alone will provide enough motivation.
Here is the specifications as per GM:
Overview
Model: |
Chevrolet Volt Concept |
Body style / driveline: |
4-5-passenger sedan, unitized frame, electric propulsion, front wheel drive |
Construction: |
body-frame-integral structure with composite exterior panels and roof |
EPA vehicle class |
compact car (four doors with rear liftgate) |
Drive system
Description: |
electrically driven system with onboard range extender, plug-in recharge capability |
Battery system: |
|
Type: |
lithium-ion |
Energy: |
16 kWh (minimum) |
Peak power: |
130 to 140 kW |
Voltage: |
320 to 350 |
100% recharge time: |
|
110-volt outlet: |
6 to 6.5 hours |
Electric traction system: |
|
Max. electrical power: |
130 to 140 kW |
Max. mechanical power: |
120 kW |
Continuous electrical power: |
45 kW |
Continuous mechanical power: |
40 kW |
Generator: |
|
Power: |
53 kW peak power |
Drive: |
direct |
Range extender: |
|
Type: |
3-cylinder, turbocharged engine |
Size: |
1L |
Fuel: |
gas or E85 |
Nominal speed: |
1500 to 1800 rpm |
Max speed: |
3200 rpm |
Fuel tank (gal / L): |
12 / 54.5 |
Charger: |
|
Type: |
plug-in |
Voltage / amp: |
110 / 15 |
Horsepower (hp / kW): |
160 / 120 |
Torque (lb-ft / Nm): |
236 / 320 |
Electric mode range: |
40 miles – full electric vehicle (EV) range |
Estimated fuel economy @ constant state of charge: |
50 mpg during charge sustaining operation |
Daily usage equivalent mpg: |
|
@ 40 miles or less: |
not applicable – no fuel used |
@ 60 miles: |
150 mpg |
@ 80 miles: |
100 mpg |
0 to 60 mph: |
8 to 8.5 seconds |
Top speed (mph) |
120 (limited duration) |
Chassis/Suspension
Front: |
independent, strut-type |
Rear: |
semi-independent torsion beam |
Steering type: |
electric, speed-sensitive, variable assist rack-and-pinion |
Turning circle, curb-to-curb |
37 to 38 / 11.2 to 11.5 |
Brakes
Type: |
electro-hydraulic power assisted; front disc, rear drum |
Wheels/Tires
Wheel size (in): |
21 x 6.5 |
Tires: |
195/55R21, low-rolling resistance |
Dimensions
Exterior
Overall length (in / mm): |
170 / 4318 |
Height (in / mm): |
52.6 / 1336 |
Width (in / mm): |
70.5 / 1791 |
Interior
Seating capacity (front / rear): |
2 / 2 |
Headroom (in / mm): |
front: 37.3 / 947 |
Legroom (in / mm): |
31.5 / 802 |
Shoulder room (in / mm): |
50.6 / 1285 |
Hip room (in / mm): |
53.1 / 1349 |
Frankly, I think the Volt and the energy savings it promises make for a revolutionary automobile. I have made a site dedicated to the volt here:
Chevy Volt