At the beginning, from the Chevrolet Volt concept is praised for excellence in the field of technology. Not to mention GM’s concept Camaro known as electricity. This makes a lot of cynicism. In the early years 2007film Who Killed Electric Car still rings in our ears. The Chevrolet Volt commentators say that it was nothing more than public relations exercises. GM also has no real value to make calm high fuel economy values. Skeptic attitude like that has faded over time. This is one of GM’s public relations efforts in monitoring the development of the Chevrolet Volt, the technical challenges, and schedule. They brought reporters to the lab to monitor developments. They allowed them to interview executives. They visited the test facility. They monitor the process of styling Mockups. GM has repeatedly done this executive. This is their major project.
Chevrolet Volt can be said as a series hybrid. This is different from the parallel hybrid. One example is Prius cars. This car uses electronic control units continuously and moves from machine to a battery of about 1kWh much smaller. Most Prius cars get power from the engine, while the Chevrolet Volt uses electricity and a backup machine. The battery in the Prius works to save energy braking, accelerating the speed and low speed provides very little electricity.
Chevrolet Volt will be sold around the month of November 2010. Gm had spent for the vision requirement if the battery is ready. Chevrolet volt car so will be the first series of hybrids that can be sold anywhere in the world.
Why Chevrolet Volt driving distance of 40 miles? That’s because most Americans are driving less than 40 miles per day. They will never use gasoline as fuel for their cars every night when their car with an electric rechargeable. Price each refill is different depending on local electricity rates. Every 40 miles or less charged 1 dollar.
Chevrolet Volt has a feature on board. On board is the energy battery charger with 110 volt capacity in the household. While 220 Volt for heavy components such as refrigerators and washing machines. By using 110 volt power takes about 8 hours to recharge fully. 220 Volt spent 3 hours.
E-Flex is a set of components that build GM’s Chevrolet Volt. This is based on the driving wheel electric motors. A lot can complement solar batteries, among others, biofel, hydrogen or gasoline. Chevrolet Volt will be the first car to use this architecture. However, will not be one of them. GM had a plan to use the same battery and motor combo Opel brand from Germany as an energy car. It’s like the concept of Converj Cadillac, Cadillac, and Chevrolet’s future.
Green car world was shaken when a Chevrolet attend. General Motors to bring this type of car with the Chevrolet Volt concept in January 2007 ago at Detroit Auto Show. The technology is still in the laboratory experiments. Like Toyota Prius hybrid leapfrogged directly adjusted standard recharge the battery when the then-called plug-ins.
After three years, the Chevrolet Volt is a type of small car has a five-door hatchback and shaped like the Toyota Prius car accommodation and Honda Insight. This product will be launched on the anniversary of the GM 100 around September 2008. Display Volt cars will be slightly different. Why? This is because in order to offer the best package of aerodynamic car and highly efficient in minimizing the battery.
Chevrolet Volt can be said to be electric vehicles extended-range or E-Rev. This is said by GM. What makes this car different from other hybrid car uses the energy of some electric car 40 miles after charging energy management. This is not going to burn gasoline for miles just to spend the energy of about 400 pounds from 16 kWh lithium ion batteries. Chevrolet Volt front wheels are driven by electric motor hp from the current 150 power pack.
Energy about 40 miles is not enough to make efficient cars. This makes the Chevrolet Volt with 1.4 liters of fuel-flex engines. Energy is not moved the engine but move the wheels of a vehicle generator that makes the car can reach 300 miles to support a sufficient battery energy. In other words, occurs once the battery out. This is what needs attention.
From its inception, the Chevy Volt was designed to travel 40 miles without using a drop of gasoline. General Motors drew the line in the sand, citing studies that show the majority of US drivers, on average, travel less than 40 miles per day. In a refrain repeated over and over again by GM executives, and bandied about in advertising, the company has held firm to its promise of 40 miles of electric driving before the small onboard engine would be called into service.
However, one year prior to its release, journalists are discovering that the Chevy Volt will fall short of the 40 miles of all-electric range under a number of conditions.
Edmunds’ John O’Dell yesterday took a brief test drive of the Chevy Volt, and grilled Chevy Volt Chief Engineer Andrew Farah. O’Dell discovered that the 2011 will indeed deliver 40 miles of battery-only range on the EPA city cycle, a driving circuit with an average speed of just under 20 mph. But the Chevy Volt’s battery range will be diminished under these conditions:
Aggressive acceleration
Sustain high-speed driving
Exceptionally hot or cold ambient temperatures
Driving in hilly or mountainous terrain
O’Dell writes, “If you pull out of the driveway with a full charge, hop on an uncrowded freeway and motor away at 65 miles an hour, you won’t get 40 miles on battery power alone.”
Does It Matter?
From the beginning, the 40-mile number seemed arbitrary. After all, how many Volt owners are going to complain if the engine comes on after 38 miles or 35 miles? The Chevy Volt is expected to be the only mainstream relatively affordableplug-in hybrid on the market—it goes on sale in late 2010—with anywhere near 40 miles of all-electric range for quite some time.
But if Chevy Hybrid Cars does fall short of 40 miles of electric range, and 35 or 30 miles proves to be enough for satisfied owners, it begs the question of how much all-electric range is needed after all. Earlier this year, researchers from Carnegie Melon University found that the extra cost and weight of batteries needed for 40 miles of all-electric range are cost-prohibitive. Researchers said, “Large-capacity plug-in hybrids sized for 40 or more miles of electric-only travel are not cost-effective in any scenario.”
This Chevy Hybrid Car is expected to cost about $40,000. Could GM reduce the cost of the Volt—and potentially sell more units maybe even at a profit—by downsizing the battery pack to allow for 30, 20, or even 10 miles of all-electric range? Does it strike a better balance between cost and EV-range to tap into gasoline when needed throughout the driving cycle—the “blended” approach expected from Ford and Toyota, as well as GM’s own future plug-in hybrid SUV? Or maybe those who must have a long all-electric range would be happy to pay $10,000 less and give up the ability to take their electric car on long-range trips? The Nissan Leaf is expected to sell in the low $30,000s and will never use a drop of gasoline, because it’s purely electric and doesn’t have a gas engine.
The new era of plug-in hybrids and electric cars will bring these questions and many more. Perhaps the biggest question—at least for GM one year before the release of the Chevy Volt—is whether or not it should continue to make the 40-mile claim when it might not be true for many of its owners.
