The Chevrolet Volt will use electricity to move the wheels at all times and speeds and so General Motors is asking the EPA to certify the Volt as an electric vehicle. But the volt has a 1.4 liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine as well as a plug-in battery pack, and is therefore a hybrid.
CARB, the California Air Resources Board, has already given the Volt preliminary certification as an electric. The reason it matters is that the Volt would become the first vehicle rated at 100 mpg, a huge marketing edge for GM.
Electric vehicles have no emissions so their fuel ratings are calculated on the basis of mpg equivalents, hence the possibility of exceeding 100 mpg. However, if the plug-in battery technology of the Volt is not used consistently or correctly, the Volt will run on its 1.4 liter engine for both driving power and to recharge the battery.
For trips up to 40 miles, the Volt is powered only by electricity stored in its 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery. When the battery’s energy is gone, a gasoline/to E85-powered engine generator seamlessly provides electricity to power the Volt’s electric drive unit while simultaneously sustaining the charge of the battery. This mode of operation expands the range of the Volt for several hundred additional miles, until the battery can be charged. Unlike a conventional battery-electric vehicle, the Volt eliminates “range anxiety,” giving peace of mind that the driver will not be stranded by a depleted battery.
As a plug-in electric hybrid, which GM calls a “range-extended” electric, the Volt is expected to achieve that 40 mile range on its battery power alone. At a cost of about 80¢ per day (10¢ per kWh) for a full charge, GM estimates that the Volt will be less expensive to recharge than purchasing a cup of coffee. Charging the Volt about once daily will consume less electric energy annually than the average home’s refrigerator and freezer units. The small gas engine would kick in to extend the range and recharge the battery. No consumer yet knows the Volt’s mpg on gasoline alone, but it seems likely that the engine will deliver 35-50 mpg once the battery’s 40 mile range is exceeded.
Two new small but powerful engines
Volt’s engine will be made in Flint, Michigan in a new $370M plant starting in 2010. The power rating for the Volt has not been disclosed yet, but it will be a naturally aspirated engine. The 1.4 liter turbo which will boost the Chevy Cruze to 140 hp will also be made at the Flint location. This engine family is already deployed successfully around the world, primarily in Europe. The engines will play a key role in GM’s plan to double global production of small four- cylinder engines by 2011, with more than half of that increase coming from North America.
Tom Stephens, GM Executive Vice President of Global Powertrain and Global Quality spoke about the role the 1.4 liter turbo will play in the company’s lineup.
“The new 1.4 liter turbo for the Chevrolet Cruze highlights GM’s global commitment to offering engines that provide outstanding fuel efficiency without compromising vehicle performance. The new 1.4 liter turbocharged engine has the power of a larger engine, but retains the efficiency of a small displacement four-cylinder. And with this engine, we expect the Cruzeto be a fuel economy leader in its segment when it’s introduced in early 2010.”
Within the new engine plant will be GM Powertrain’s most flexible and competitive engine assembly lines, with approximately 300 highly flexible stations that will allow assemblies of multiple four-cylinder engine families without retooling. The plant will be a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified facility, the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. And the plant will be landfill free, meaning no waste from manufacturing operations will go to landfills, but will be recycled, reused or converted into energy, proving the plant will be as environmentally sound as the products it manufactures.
In a move objected to by Toyota, who wants the same for its hybrids, Congress has singled out plug-ins - advantage Volt. Consumers will get a tax break of up to $7500 for buying a Volt plug-in. GM has said the rechargeable car could cost more than $35,000, which would be abated by tax credits. A recent consumer poll showed that 60% of readers voted the Volt the most important vehicle GM will launch in the next two years, followed by Cruze (22%), Camaro (14%) and Buick lacrosse (5%).
article courtesy of Auto Body News Western | www.autobodynews.com
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