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Chevrolet Volt Electric Car

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cc licensed flickr photo shared by LancerE

f you think that gas prices are high, and are willing to spend A LOT to get a fuel efficient car than I know a car perfect for you if you wait until 2012. The Chevrolet Volt isn't just fuel efficient, for some drivers, it will be fuel FREE! The only problem is the huge price tag for the first few years.

The Chevy Volt is a Front Wheel Drive Serial Hybrid Vehicle that is to be built by General Motors' Chevrolet division in 2010 for the 2011 model year. It will be a 4 passenger sedan. The Volt will be assembled at the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly in Michigan. It uses GM's E-Flex Platform

"The Chevy Volt is a thoughtful, innovative, technically advanced vehicle; the prototypes we've driven confirm it cleverly combines the best attributes of an electric motor and the gasoline internal-combustion engine. Disruptive technology? Sorry, Elon, there's more at GM than Tesla." Source: Motor Trend

The Electric Car: Development and Future of Battery, Hybrid and Fuel-Cell Cars (IEE Power & Energy Series, 38)

by: Michael H. Westbrook

Amazon Price: $49.00 (as of 05/30/2012)

Engine

The Volt is claimed by GM to be able to run for 40 miles a day on the Lithium Ion Battery powered electric motor. With only the electric motor running, the Volt will produce no emissions and use no gasoline. After the battery runs down, a 1.4 liter, 4-cylinder internal combustion engine connected to a generator will recharge the battery. This engine is the same engine that GM would like to use in the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze compact car. Because the engine will be used in two cars, the price for both cars can be lower since the engines can be mass-produced together. GM's goal is to have a range of 450 miles on a tank of fuel after the generator begins to charge the battery. The engine can run on gasoline or E85 ethanol. The battery can be charged also with a standard 3-prong 110-volt outlet. It can bee fully charged in an outlet in 6-7 hours. The Volt will have no transmission thanks to GM's E-Flex propulsion system.(But it has a transmission hump still, see Battery below.)The car uses the electric motor to act like a Continuously Variable Transmission.

Convert It!

by: Michael P. Brown

Amazon Price: $24.95 (as of 05/31/2012)

E-flex Flexibility

Because of GM's E-flex system, the generator could be fitted to run on many alternative fuels. This leaves many options to GM on what engine to use depending on what the infrastructure moves to. The options are endless. Here are some possibility's: E85, E100, diesel, Bio-diesel, Hydrogen fuel cell, Natural Gas, and even good old gasoline.

Who Killed the Electric Car?

Amazon Price: $7.80 (as of 05/31/2012)

Battery

The Lithium Ion battery is a T-shape battery pack that will be placed where a car's traditional transmission "hump" would be. The battery will require a taller hump though, so GM decided to make the Volt a 4-seater instead of making the car taller to fit a 60/40 back seat but therefore less aerodynamic. I think that this is very innovative of GM taking advantage of otherwise empty hump instead of compromising trunk space by having the batteries located there.

cc licensed flickr photo shared by LancerE