General Motors is certainly causing a stir of interest at this year’s
Detroit show and you can feel the electricity in the air. They
announced today that they have a new concept vehicle, the Chevrolet
Volt, which is powered by the E-flex System – GM’s next-generation
electric propulsion system.
The
Chevrolet Volt is a battery-powered, four-passenger electric vehicle
that uses a gas engine to create additional electricity to extend its
range. The Volt draws from GM’s previous experience in starting the
modern electric vehicle market when it launched the EV1 in 1996,
according to GM Vice Chairman Robert A. Lutz.
The Volt can be fully charged by plugging it into a 110-volt outlet for
approximately six hours a day. When the lithium-ion battery is fully
charged, the Volt can deliver 40 city miles of pure electric vehicle
range. When the battery is depleted, a 1L, three-cylinder turbocharged
engine spins at a constant speed, or revolutions per minute (rpm), to
create electricity and replenish the battery. They even developed a
lighter plastic material to be used for the vehicle, to counter the
heavy weight of the battery.
What
is great about this vehicle’s system is that it can run on multiple
fuels. Besides the electric charge, it can be converted to run on
biodiesel, E85, gasoline, and even fuel cell energy! Now, THAT is a
real flexible fuel vehicle.
The car was driven out onto the
platform by a woman, Anne Asensio, who is also one of the designers on
this vehicle, and Bob Lutz. The car, stated Anne, was designed with a
27-year-old woman in mind.
The vehicle is not only proof of GM’s full-fledged commitment to
alternative fuel technology, but is an incredibly stylish and
well-designed offering. It has an incredible interior with great
storage and fantastic zippered compartments (the zippers light up when
it’s dark so you can see them easily).
And
just look at the car! It’s absolutely sexy and stylish. It has a
powerful stance, without looking beefy and macho. It’s sleek and
sophisticated; something every woman would love!
by Jody DeVere
President
Ask Patty
Check out the details from GM's Press Release...
GM’s E-flex System moves automobile toward new electric age
GM’s
E-flex System enables multiple propulsion systems to fit into a common
chassis, using electric drive to help the world diversify energy
sources and establish electricity from the grid as one of those sources.
“The
DNA of the automobile has not changed in more than 100 years,” said
Burns. “Vehicles still operate in pretty much the same fashion as when
Karl Benz introduced the ‘horseless carriage’ in 1886.
“While
mechanical propulsion will be with us for many decades to come, GM sees
a market for various forms of electric vehicles, including fuel cells
and electric vehicles using gas and diesel engines to extend the range.
With our new E-flex concept, we can produce electricity from gasoline,
ethanol, bio-diesel or hydrogen.
“We can tailor the propulsion
to meet the specific needs and infrastructure of a given market. For
example, somebody in Brazil might use 100-percent ethanol (E100)
to
power an engine generator and battery. A customer in Shanghai might get
hydrogen from the sun and create electricity in a fuel cell. Meanwhile,
a customer in Sweden might use wood to create bio-diesel.”
The
Chevrolet Volt is just the first variant of the E-flex System. The Volt
uses a large battery and a small, 1L turbocharged gasoline engine to
produce enough electricity to go up to 640 miles and provide
triple-digit fuel economy. GM will show other variations of the
propulsion systems at future auto shows.
“GM is building a fuel
cell variant that mirrors the propulsion system in the Chevrolet Sequel
(fuel cell concept),” Burns said. “Instead of a big battery and a small
engine generator used in the Volt, we would use a fuel cell propulsion
system with a small battery to capture energy when the vehicle brakes.
Because the Volt is so small and lightweight, we would need only about
half of the hydrogen storage as the Sequel to get 300 miles of range.”
Future concepts might incorporate diesel generators, bio-diesel and E-100.
Environmentally conscious vehicles can be aesthetically appealing
With
exterior proportions associated more with classic sports cars, the
Chevrolet Volt conveys an immediate message of agility and
sophistication. Twenty-one-inch wheels and sheer, taut surface
relationships reiterate the statement. The Volt’s athletic design
challenges the notion that an environmentally conscious vehicle can’t
be beautiful and possess an aesthetic spirit that matches its driving
characteristics.
True to the heritage of its Chevrolet bowtie,
the Volt’s exterior design suggests spirited performance and is wrapped
in a stylish package, with classic Chevrolet performance cues that hint
at both Camaro and Corvette. On the inside, near-term technologies and
innovative materials combine with ingenious use of ambient light for an
interior environment that’s light, airy and thoughtful.
“We
wanted a size that connected with everyone, so we designed a small
car,” said Asensio. “In the end, the interior design team from England
inspired the final interior execution, and the exterior is the work of
the Michigan advanced design team.
