01-08-2007, 04:02 PM | #1 |
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Chevrolet Volt
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=119088
General Motors' first plug-in hybrid, the Chevrolet Volt concept, introduces GM's new family of electric-drive propulsion systems By Michelle Krebs Email Date posted: 01-07-2007 STORY TOOLS Print this Save this Digg this! Email this Most popular del.icio.us General Motors has unveiled the Chevrolet Volt concept, the company's first plug-in hybrid vehicle, at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Chevrolet Volt concept is the first vehicle to use GM's new E-flex family of propulsion systems. GM claims the Volt delivers triple-digit fuel economy and can travel up to 640 miles without a fuel fill-up or a battery recharge. How the Volt works By its own admission, GM is late to the party on hybrid vehicles. Yet the Volt still manages to turn conventional hybrid thinking on its ear. While current hybrids employ a battery-powered electric motor to supplement or complement a gasoline-powered engine, the Volt runs only on electric power until the battery runs down. Then and only then does the internal-combustion engine kick in. Further, an onboard generator produces electricity while the car is operating. The electricity is then stored in the battery. Energy normally lost in braking also is recaptured and sent to the battery. The batteries can also be recharged by plugging into an electrical outlet. The specs for triple-digit fuel economy The Volt features a front-mounted electric motor that generates 120 kilowatts of power (160 horsepower) and 236 pound-feet of torque. Lithium-ion batteries are housed beneath the Volt's floor. Also onboard is a 53-kilowatt electric generator. The turbocharged, 1.0-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine also fits up front, while the 12-gallon fuel tank is in the rear. The Volt will drive about 40 miles on pure electric power. Vehicle Line Director Tony Posawatz (whose name rhymes with "kilowatts"), says GM arbitrarily picked this distance because Department of Transportation studies show that half of U.S. households travel less than 30 miles per day, while 78 percent of commuters travel no more than 40 miles per day to work. "Most Volt drivers would use little or no gasoline," Posawatz notes. By the numbers By GM's calculations, the Volt would save the typical driver 500 gallons of fuel a year, amounting to a net cost savings of $900 (assuming gas costs $2.40 a gallon). The addition to a home electric bill would be about $300. In the bigger scheme of things, the Volt saves the environment some 4.4 metric tons of carbon dioxide that might otherwise be emitted into the air in a year, GM claims. Flex for flexibility The "flex" in the E-flex name stands for "flexibility." GM promises more concepts using the E-flex system will be unveiled at future auto shows. The automaker hints those could incorporate diesel generators, biodiesel and pure ethanol or E-100. Further into the future, the E-flex system could accommodate hydrogen-powered fuel cells. GM confirmed it is working on a fuel-cell variant like that in the Sequel concept. Instead of a large battery and small engine like in the Volt, it would have a fuel-cell propulsion system with a small battery to capture energy from a regenerative braking system, and would need only half of the hydrogen storage of the original Sequel concept to achieve 300 miles of range. GM engineers have designed the E-flex system so it can be tailored to meet the specific needs and fuel infrastructure of a given market. For instance, the E-flex system might use 100-percent ethanol in Brazil. In Sweden, it might use biodiesel made from wood. The E-flex system uses common drive components so it can be adapted to a variety of chassis and vehicles. Well, it's no EV1 The recent documentary film, Who Killed the Electric Car?, accused automakers (GM, in particular), of sabotaging the electric car, specifically GM's EV1. GM engineers say the Volt and GM's E-flex wouldn't have been possible without the invaluable lessons learned from the EV1. In fact, many of the same engineers who worked on the EV1 are working on the Volt and E-flex. "EV1 was a good idea, but the Volt is a better one," insists Posawatz. The EV1 carried only two passengers; the Volt accommodates four. The Volt will take a quick charge and requires less than 6.5 hours to fully recharge; the EV1 took eight hours to recharge. The EV1 had no backup system when the batteries died, and its driving range was between 60 and 90 miles. The Volt has a small gasoline engine that kicks in when the battery runs down, delivering a total driving range of 640 miles. "There would never be a situation in which you didn't get home," GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz assures us. The Volt accelerates from a dead stop to 60 mph in less than 8.5 seconds (the EV1 took about a second longer), and has a top speed of 120 mph. (The EV1 would barely reach 80 mph.) Challenge to battery developers While GM's Jon Lauckner, vice president of global program management, insists E-flex and the Volt "are not science fair projects," nor publicity stunts, GM readily admits E-flex and the Chevrolet Volt are not ready for prime time. While GM says it intends to produce the E-flex systems, significant advancements must first be made in battery technology. Batteries for future cars must be able to last the full useful life of a vehicle and endure extreme hot and cold temperatures. In the Volt, GM has used a series of lithium-ion battery cells. The string of battery cells must continue working even if one cell fails. GM won't provide details, but says it is working with major battery manufacturers. In the meantime, GM has moved forward with the E-flex propulsion system and the Volt concept even though the batteries are not yet ready. The automaker didn't want to find itself in a situation where the batteries were ready but the car was not. After all, the plug-in future is almost here. |
01-08-2007, 05:10 PM | #2 |
Muscle Car Prodigy
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nice
im not much of a fan of hybrids but it the best one ive ever seen, ide drive it
nice post
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01-08-2007, 06:18 PM | #3 |
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Saw a pic. of the Volt on the news...looks pretty cool!
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01-08-2007, 06:40 PM | #4 |
MOD SQUAD
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01-09-2007, 01:31 AM | #5 |
www.Camaro5store.com
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That's actually cool! and 640 miles on top of that? Nice. I wonder how long it takes to recharge the battery to a full charge.
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07-12-2007, 11:48 PM | #6 | |
I used to be Dragoneye...
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About 4-6 hours...it's designed to be an overnight thing.
Here's another Article: Quote:
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07-13-2007, 12:20 AM | #7 | ||
Truth Enforcer
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dont know about that berger panel tho...lol
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07-13-2007, 08:20 AM | #8 |
Chevrolet Enthusiast
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Pretty cool for a hybrid... If desperate times called for desperate measures, I might actually consider that hybrid above the rest!! lol
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07-13-2007, 09:58 AM | #9 |
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I've often wondered how much "influence" the gas/oil companies have on the engingeers that develop electric-car technology.
Ok, so I sorta get interested in conspiracy theories...so sue me...lol |
07-13-2007, 12:20 PM | #10 | |||
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Quote:
how do you feel about the "plane" that hit the pentagon?
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Never race anything you can't afford to light on fire and push off a cliff
A group as a whole tends to be smarter than the smartest person in that group until one jackass convinces everyone otherwise. Quote:
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07-13-2007, 02:06 PM | #11 |
Go Rays!
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I'm honestly on the fence about it. There's just enough to make me wonder...namely the part about the light poles on the interstate being taken out by the wings of an airplane...that would normally chew right through a wing were somehow ripped out of the ground.
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07-13-2007, 04:54 PM | #12 | |
I drank what?
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Quote:
Check this out and ask yourself, "why aren't we driving cars that run on water? Cause someone's gettin' paid. |
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07-13-2007, 05:26 PM | #13 |
SoCal Race Team #13
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Really its just common sense, I wrote a research paper for school on this very topic about 4 weeks ago. The cost of gasoline is to cheap for any other type of fuel/alternative to break its hold on the majority of the market. Thats really the only reason, we consumers don't want to spend the cash.
Even the EPA estimates that gas has to reach $5+ a gallon for over a year before any of the alternatives start to have a financial advantage over gasoline. (I can give you a direct quote from the lead guy on ethanol with the EPA)
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07-13-2007, 08:00 PM | #14 | |
I drank what?
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Here's the same thing; different news coverage
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