Between 60 and a million miles per gallon

by mike

Chevy Volt And I am not kidding!!

Just imagine driving to work every day and never having to buy a single drop of gas. Again, I am not kidding. Before you read this article, think about this for a new company; Green Cabbie. Green Cabbie would be a cab company where every vehicle is a hybrid. Even if cost a little more to the consumer I would choose them every time. If the city/state gave companies a break for using hybrids instead of gas guzzlers just think of the impact we could have. Green Taxis would be huge for NYC. If someone does start Green Cabbie, let me invest. For the record, I still prefer public transportation or my bike, but if you gotta drive…

“GM announced the Chevy Volt, due for delivery in April. This hot little car has two engines, one is powered by batteries and one by gasoline. All propulsion is accomplished by the electric engine which, in turn, is powered by the lithium ion batteries. The batteries are charged by plugging them into the wall. For the first forty or so miles of driving, the batteries have enough power to move the car from zero to sixty in 8 seconds and hit a top speed of 120 mph.

Then, after all that aerodynamic, electric, regenerative-brake-using driving, an ultra-efficient, small, inexpensive gasoline engine kicks on and recharges the battery. Using only power generated by the gas generator, the car gets about 60 mpg.”.

Announced during the 2007 Auto Show, check out these links to learn more.

2007 NAIAS Auto Show Announcement
Chevy Announcement

Some of the Chevy Highlights are…

The E-Flex Drive System â€” What It Is And How It Works

Concept Volt utilizes the GM-patented E-Flex Propulsion System to bring you an electric drive vehicle that can run on various sources of energy. It consists of:

Electric drive system

Range extender: 53 kW direct engine-mounted generator and 3-cylinder 1.0L Turbocharged, intercooled internal combustion engine

Dual (left- and right-side) charge ports

Onboard battery pack

12-gallon fuel saddle tank

Running Gas-Free
Concept Volt uses an E-Flex Propulsion System to run gasoline-free. A 16 kW hour lithium ion battery connects to a 53 kW direct engine-mounted generator. This powers the electric Traction System which in turn drives the wheels.

Recharging
There are two charge ports: one on each side between the front door and front wheel. To recharge, simply plug Volt into a 110-volt, 15-amp outlet â€” the same kind you have in your home. It takes about six to six-and-a-half hours to fully recharge. Then you can drive up to 40-miles on pure electricity.

Charging As You Go
If your battery needs to be charged while driving, the generator will automatically work with the 1.0L Turbocharged gas engine to begin recharging the battery pack when depleted. It all happens seamlessly while you’re concentrating on getting to your destination.

Quick Charge
If you don’t have the time to leave Concept Volt plugged in to fully recharge or don’t have access to an outlet, the vehicle can also begin to charge itself while in PARK with the engine running. The range-extending engine and generator will do all the work.

Using Fuel
An onboard 3-cylinder 1.0L Turbocharged, intercooled internal combustion engine allows you to keep driving when your electric battery needs to be recharged. This range extender can be configured to run on gasoline, E85 or biodiesel. The model shown will use gasoline or E85 interchangeably and can hold up to 12 gallons of fuel.

Additional Benefits

120-kW electric motor is equivalent to a 160-hp engine

Instantaneous torque in electric mode means acceleration faster than traditional torque curve in certain gasoline-powered engines

0â€“60 in 8 to 8.5 seconds

Battery life is about 10 years

Short Commutes

If youâ€™re lucky enough to live less than 20 miles away from work, you could drive solely on electricity every day. That means zero gasoline and zero emissions. Recharge Concept Chevy Volt every night with a common 110-volt household outlet. Then drive it up to 40 miles daily on a single electric charge.Wide-scale use of electric-powered vehicles such as Concept Chevy Volt would help reduce our dependence on petroleum products.

Estimated annual gasoline savings: 500 gallons
Estimated cost savings: $900 after using electricity to recharge

60-Mile Trips

So, you don’t have a short drive to work. Or maybe you need to run a few extra errands some days, pushing you to around 60-miles per day. Concept Chevy Volt still works for you.You can use electric power exclusively for up to 40 miles of your trip. Then the range-extending power source â€” which creates electricity from gasoline, E85 or biodiesel fuels â€” seamlessly kicks in to recharge the lithium ion battery pack as required.

Expect an estimated 150 equivalent miles per gallon when you use this electric battery and gasoline-combination to drive approximately 60 miles per day.

Estimated annual gasoline savings: 570 gallons
Estimated cost savings: $1368 after using electricity to recharge

Long Drives

What about those weekend getaways or driving vacations? Concept Chevy Volt can tackle them.

At the start of your trip, you can drive approximately 40 miles on your charged electric battery. Then the range-extending power source will automatically come on to recharge the battery as required so that you can keep driving with either gasoline, E85 or biodiesel.

A trip like this will give you an estimated 50 equivalent miles per gallon using gasoline. Driving range between fill-ups could be as much as an outstanding 640 miles.(1)