Wally Edgar CHEVROLET Dealer -- VOLT Named Top Pick

CHEVROLET VOLT: The top products of 2010
By: GORDY O'CONNOR
 
Sept. 28, 2010 - PRLog -- BRILLIANT IDEA: A series hybrid that augments a battery pack with an onboard gas engine, easing range anxiety and paving the way for EV adoption.

It’s an EV early adopter’s worst nightmare: running out of juice, miles from the nearest charging station. With the VOLT, CHEVROLET is intent on squelching those fears. When the car’s 16-kilowatt-hour battery pack becomes depleted, the car automatically switches to a gas engine—a transition that is remarkably smooth (it’s nearly impossible to discern on the road). And while the VOLT may not be as fun to drive in the conventional sense as, say, a Corvette, there’s still a sense of occasion behind the wheel. It is smoother and quieter than a Cadillac, plus in-dash screens add the gee-whiz element of revealing the car’s inner workings. For a plug-in series hybrid, there’s a lot of hardware—a gas engine, a large battery and electric motors—and clever ideas under the hood, pushing the price to $41,000 ($33,500 after the federal subsidy), a princely sum for a small car. But the VOLT is more than the sum of its cutting-edge parts: It’s a dramatic reinvention of the great American car, without sacrificing the great American road trip.


AERODYNAMIC DESIGN
Extending the EV’s range means minimizing drag, which can lead to bland shapes. “We didn’t want the automotive equivalent of Brussels sprouts,” says Bob Boniface, the Volt’s lead designer. So engineers added details such as a gently sloping rear hatch, a flat bottom and small creases and fins that manage airflow. The result is GM’s most aero-efficient car since the EV1.

USER INTERFACE
Two 7-inch WVGA displays (one of which is a touchscreen) provide access to basic functions, vehicle information and a graphical efficiency coach. A smartphone app allows users to schedule charging and precondition the cabin while the car is plugged in.

POWERTRAIN
When the Volt’s battery pack is discharged, the 1.4-liter gas-powered four-cylinder engine kicks on to spin the 74-hp generator. The engine doesn’t top off the battery but simply runs long enough to maintain performance. The generator and 149-hp traction motor are connected to the wheels via a planetary gearset in a way that’s similar to the Toyota Prius’s transmission. This arrangement allows both motors to power the wheels, a strategy that keeps each motor in its most efficient—and refined—operating range.

BATTERY PACK
The 300-volt lithium-ion battery pack is composed of 288 cells, grouped vertically like files in a drawer. To extend battery life, the pack never fully charges or depletes. A 250-micron-thick, sponge-like membrane separates the plates and holds the organic carbonate electrolyte through which the charged lithium ions flow. A dedicated liquid-cooling circuit maintains the pack’s temperature to within 2 degrees.

SOURCE: Popular Mechanics
(Illustration by Razvan Maftei)

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Source:GORDY O'CONNOR
Email:***@wallyedgar.com Email Verified
Zip:48360
Tags:gm, Volt, Alternativeenergy, Hybrid, Electric, Powertrain, Chevrolet, Chevroletdealers, Electriccars
Industry:Automotive, Energy, Manufacturing
Location:United States
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