The Chevy Volt is a four passenger electric vehicle with an extended range ability. Craig Eppling, Communications Manager for the South Central Region of General Motors commented, “This is a turning point in the auto industry.” That theme appeared to be shared by all the GM folks who were at the event. A lot of all-electric vehicles are coming on the market, including the well-advertised Nissan Leaf. GM is putting their hopes on the extended range capability and are already dreaming far past the initial success.
The Chevy Volt has been named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year. It received the Green Car of the Year at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show. Dan Akerson, CEO of General Motors, has already been asked about the possibility of bumping up planned production. He said that GM is trying to figure out how they can do it. If the 2011 Chevrolet Volt is as successful in sales as initially hoped for, the company is preparing to double or triple production in the next two years. Apparently, the limiting factor will be battery production.
Only 10,000 Volt cars are planned for the 2011 model year. Austin is one of the few cities that will receive these before year end. This would certainly make an unusual Christmas present. For calendar year 2012, 45,000 Volt cars are on the drawing board. However, a fan web site has reported that there are over 240,000 interested buyers already signed up, wanting to seriously consider a purchase of the new Volt.
The US Government’s Environmental Protection Agency has recently released their official “sticker” regarding emissions and mileage. The EPA is crossing new bridges with these electric cars and uses a complicated formula to determine what they call “mileage equivalent.” The Chevy Volt is rated at 93 mpg equivalent on all-electric. The Nissan Leaf received an EPA rating of 99 mpg equivalent. The Leaf is a true all-electric and must be re-charged to go past the 40 or 50 mile range. The Volt, however, is a hybrid. It does have a gas engine that Chevy engineers and public relations personnel refer to as “extended range.”
The gasoline engine is the Volt is an 84 horsepower, 1.4 liter, 4-cylinder that is optimized for premium fuel. This is the same engine that Chevrolet uses in the Chevy Cruze and some of their European models. It can be used to power the drive train, but is designed to work primarily as a generator in the Volt, maintaining the battery charge. There are a series of clutches involved, and the gas engine does not drive the powertrain independently, but will require a minimal charge in the battery system to operate.
The test drive route allowed the journalists to take the new Volt on windy and hilly roads. It drives the same as a small compact car is expected to drive . This is not a turbo-charged, sports car, but a small sedan that is not unlike other small sedans under normal driving conditions. It handles well. It performs just like you would expect them to perform. Drivers and passengers will not usually be aware that this is an electric vehicle. When the battery charge is depleted and the gas engine begins in Extended Range, the is no descernable jerk or blip, other than the change on the display screen.
There are a lot of differences in the Volt, the Leaf, and other manufacturers electric cars. The Volt uses batteries that are thermal cooled rather than air-cooled. They say that the thermal management will provide for a longer life. In fact, Chevrolet is warranting their batteries for 8 years or 100,000 miles. A rapid charging system is available for owners and currently is subsidized by the US government. A normal charge will be through a standard household plug and will take about 8 hours, usually during the night hours. The price of the Volt is in the $35,000 to $40,000 range, but the cost of electricity to charge the batteries is significantly lower than the cost of gasoline.
As found in most small, compact sedans, a variety of safety features as well as creature-comfort items are included on the Volt or are available. There is traction control, an anti-skid system, airbags, a standard navigation system, a hard drive for digital music files, leather seats, heated front seats, a rear-view camera, and a lot more. Even a remote charging system can be downloaded and run from many cell phones, including remote starting of the heater or AC unit.
It was the January 2007 Detroit Auto Show when the Volt was unveiled and I was there, jockying for a position to take pictures and get more information. The production model has come out from that original concept in about three years, a remarkable achievement in these depressed economic times. The original concept was a lot more sporty looking that the four door compact sedan, but this is a remarkable vehicle. I agree with my friend, Craig Eppling, that this probably is a turning point in the automotive industry.
by Alan Gell - MyCarData
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