- What We Know
- General Motors 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. 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 but not to propel the car but to feed the onboard generator that 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 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. 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.
- What Edmunds.com says
- It's a promising concept that has major backing from the highest levels of GM management, but until the battery situation is worked out the Volt is still very much a work in progress.
