Electric... or hybrid?
At this year's NAIAS in Detroit, GM introduced their Chevrolet Volt in world premiere. Unlike the EV1, the Volt, which is similar in size to the Cobalt, can sit four passengers. And unlike traditional hybrid vehicles that are equally assisted by a combustion engine and an electric motor, this concept has one fundamental difference: the powertrain that moves the vehicle is solely comprised of an electric motor. Its 161 horsepower are transferred to the front wheels.
Yet, there is also a thermal engine under the hood of the Volt. What's the purpose? Well, this 1,0-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged mill, which can run either on gasoline, E85, E100, hydrogen, diesel or biodiesel, only acts as a generator to recharge the batteries on the fly. This is what GM calls the "E-Flex platform". The fuel economy rating of this little engine hovers around 4.7 litres per 100 kilometres. Boasting 71 horsepower, it allows the batteries to recharge whenever they're empty to provide a range of about 1,030 km. At this point, the 45-litre fuel tank needs to be filled up.
Finally, a decent range
As mentioned earlier, the Volt can cover 200 km on the highway and 65 km in the city using electricity alone. Since the combustion engine only activates when the battery pack is almost entirely empty, what happens if you live about 30 km from work and you have to drive 60 km every day? After stowing the car in your garage, you just have to plug it into a standard 110-volt outlet. If you're in a hurry, the Volt even offers a quick-recharge mode. In theory, as long as you drive short distances and plug your car every night, you will never hear the combustion engine running. This means you don't burn a single drop of fuel and your electricity bill will be reduced. It's a simple, economic and very convenient solution.
At this year's NAIAS in Detroit, GM introduced their Chevrolet Volt in world premiere. Unlike the EV1, the Volt, which is similar in size to the Cobalt, can sit four passengers. And unlike traditional hybrid vehicles that are equally assisted by a combustion engine and an electric motor, this concept has one fundamental difference: the powertrain that moves the vehicle is solely comprised of an electric motor. Its 161 horsepower are transferred to the front wheels.
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Yet, there is also a thermal engine under the hood of the Volt. What's the purpose? Well, this 1,0-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged mill, which can run either on gasoline, E85, E100, hydrogen, diesel or biodiesel, only acts as a generator to recharge the batteries on the fly. This is what GM calls the "E-Flex platform". The fuel economy rating of this little engine hovers around 4.7 litres per 100 kilometres. Boasting 71 horsepower, it allows the batteries to recharge whenever they're empty to provide a range of about 1,030 km. At this point, the 45-litre fuel tank needs to be filled up.
Finally, a decent range
As mentioned earlier, the Volt can cover 200 km on the highway and 65 km in the city using electricity alone. Since the combustion engine only activates when the battery pack is almost entirely empty, what happens if you live about 30 km from work and you have to drive 60 km every day? After stowing the car in your garage, you just have to plug it into a standard 110-volt outlet. If you're in a hurry, the Volt even offers a quick-recharge mode. In theory, as long as you drive short distances and plug your car every night, you will never hear the combustion engine running. This means you don't burn a single drop of fuel and your electricity bill will be reduced. It's a simple, economic and very convenient solution.
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