Europe's press were given their first chance to see the Chevrolet Volt when it was unveiled at the Paris show. GM’s revolutionary range extender car breaks the mechanical link between the internal combustion engine and the wheels for the first time.
More details have also emerged about the Volt’s mechanical make-up. It will use a new 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (which will also be used in the new Chevrolet Cruze) that’s been detuned to produce just 53bhp.
That’s enough, at 1100rpm, to power the Volt’s electric motor although the engine doesn’t recharge the battery. Instead it kicks in to generate power when the battery’s charge drops to below two thirds full; the battery then drives the motor.
The economy and emissions figures are exceptional, unrivalled by any mass-produced car on sale today or due on sale in the next 18 months. GM claims around 176mpg and 40g/km of CO2
The car’s exterior, which has attracted criticism for looking too conventional and not being attractive enough, has been designed to be as aerodynamically efficient as possible and still accommodate four people plus luggage. The door mirrors, for instance, are straight off the Volt concept car, but greatly cut drag.
Inside the Volt is a four-seater, because the lithium-ion battery pack divides the rear of the cabin, creating the effect of a transmission tunnel.
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Re: Paris show: Chevrolet Volt
There's one major problem - read this: <br>
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=132112 <br>
If these guys are right (and Edmunds is respected in the States) then the Volt is effectively useless for anyone other than a commuter with a plug at work. You only get 40 miles before the battery runs out, after which point you're trying to power a 1700kg car along with its engine thrashing away to turn its electric motor. <br>
If this is the future, give me a Prius.
Re: Paris show: Chevrolet Volt
The deal with the Volt is that it breaks the mechanical link between the engine and wheels. The Toyota Hybrid system is way more complicated. By allowing the engine to run at its most efficient, acting a a generator with no acceleration and little loading, fuel consumption is transformed. This idea of micro generation - having, say, tiny power stations at the end of the street, rather than a few huge power stations and the resultant transmission losses, is a big part of the future 'fuel saving' revolution. (I won't call the shift 'green' because that's such a debased and political term). We'll probably come to see the Volt as a landmark in the history of the automobile.
Re: Paris show: Chevrolet Volt
176mpg!!??!! Even if it only achieves two thirds of this figure due to more spirited driving, it would still be a bloody good mpg for a car of this size. Hope they can do something to make the price a little sharper, but other than that it looks like a winner to me (although what's with the weird black bits on the side, below the windows??).