Chevrolet Volt

Chevrolet Volt (since 2010)

The Chevrolet Volt is a plug- in hybrid compact car the car company General Motors. Its sister model, the Opel Ampera.

Development

At the Detroit Auto Show 2007 a ​​concept car was shown with the GM E-Flex platform was presented; Thus, it was tried to standardize components future electrically driven vehicles in order to enable a plurality of interchangeable electrical power generation systems. Already in the origin design of the Chevrolet Volt, an electric motor is combined with a 16- kWh lithium -ion battery system; a small internal combustion engine should power a 53- kW generator. Since the electric power from the concept of the charge is independent, there are various options for the implementation of the internal combustion engine. In old promotional material, a configuration was described in which a 1 -liter 3- cylinder engine is used with turbocharging. The fuel was provided by a saddle tank. Future options are pure ethanol engines, a biodiesel -compatible diesel engine or a hydrogen fuel cell as soon as this technology is economically viable. A variant of the Chevrolet Volt as a fuel cell vehicle was shown at the Shanghai Auto Show 2007. By compared to new, low-cost lithium -ion batteries is higher costs for fuel, the manufacturer, the Chevrolet Volt its use for at least the first series but not planned.

The production model came in August 2010 in the U.S. market and there costs the equivalent of 32,000 euros. The Chevrolet Volt is also offered in Europe. In Germany it is available since November 2011 at a price of 41.950 euros. After three weeks after a successful crash test in the U.S. Chevrolet Volt had caught fire, the safety concept of the traction battery has been revised by the end of 2011. This is also delayed the start of the series identical Opel Ampera.

Principle

The Chevrolet Volt is equipped with an electric drive, which is powered by on-board batteries, in order to cover about 60 km; this is sufficient to cope with the usual distance of American commuters distance ( about 53 km). By using an internal combustion engine with 1.4 liter displacement and an output of 63 kW, which drives a generator that charges the battery, the vehicle's range can be increased by about 500 km. GM avoids the term hybrid vehicle and called the vehicle due to its interpretation as an electric vehicle with extended range.

Voltec propulsion of the production model

Through the Voltec drive the vehicle is driven by an electric motor with a peak output of 111 kW and a top speed of 160 km / h The sprint from 0 to 100 km / h takes 8.5 seconds. The generator of the production model is powered by a naturally aspirated 1.4-liter 4- cylinder gasoline engine with an output of 63 kW ( 84 hp), but only start if the batteries of the vehicle are almost empty.

Normally, the battery is recharged overnight. The electrical connection of this is front left, built right next to the driver's door and protected by a gas cap like the petrol tank. A full charge takes on a normal North American home port ( 120 volts, 15 amperes ) for about 10 hours and a 240 V connection for about 4 hours. For those that exceed the vehicle's range on battery power, the power to the drive motor from the on-board generator is supplied; surplus electricity (eg braking energy ) is used to charge the batteries.

Electric Consumption

The electrical consumption of the Chevrolet Volt is 22.4 kWh per 100 km and was established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA. This amount of energy corresponds to a gasoline equivalent of 93 miles per gallon or 2.53 l/100 km with a fully charged battery on the first 35 miles ( 56.3 km).

Gasoline consumption

Since the Volt only uses gasoline when the battery of the vehicle is discharged, a fuel consumption figure must always be viewed against the background of whether the car is pure electric, mixed or - if fully discharged battery pack - only with the help of the engine (via the detour of electricity generation) is moved. In the latter case, the gas mileage is 37 miles per gallon, according to 6.36 liters per 100 km, and at 60 miles per gallon, according to 3.92 l/100 km gasoline equivalent in combined operation.

Opel Ampera

The also since November 2011 available in Europe Opel Ampera is technically identical to the Chevrolet Volt.

The Ampera is offered in Germany at a price of 38,300 euros ( the Volt costs in Germany from € 42,950 ). The proposed interpretation of the Opel Ampera in Germany would lead to a motor vehicle annual rate of 28 euros. Opel developed in Mainz -Kastel, the control for the battery manufacturer LG.

Awards

The Chevrolet Volt won the title "North American Car of the Year 2011" with 233 points, ahead of the Hyundai Sonata with 163 points and the Nissan Leaf with 94 points. In addition, he is " Car of the Year 2012".

Paragraph

Since its launch in December 2010, about 48,000 (as of August 2013) vehicles were sold in the United States.