Even as it was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, General Motors stole the limelight when it unveiled the Volt, a pure electric vehicle that stood a chance of being one of the first truly mass-market electric vehicles. Key to the Volt was: apart from its electric motor, it carried a “range-extending” internal-combustion (ie, gasoline) engine to recharge the batteries. The technology and the idea of the Volt was key to getting the American government to provide bailout funds to GM.
On the eve of the Volt’s official launch, reports have arisen that the gasoline engine can propel the car, in effect making it a plug-in hybrid, albeit one with a longer ability to go on electric power alone.
GM has clarified this, saying that the Volt is indeed an electric vehicle, not a hybrid. The car’s Voltec electric system delivers power in both pure electric and extended range driving. The car’s 1.4-liter gasoline engine cannot drive the vehicle by itself, according to GM. The gasoline engine can contribute directly to the propulsion, and in this mode it is similar to the Prius. GM says that they have not revealed this previously to protect their patent applications.
Confusion aside, the Volt contains some revolutionary automotive technology. The electric system is driven by a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery back that provides a range of 40 to 80 km. The gasoline engine extends that by a further 496 km by operating the car’s electric drive system until the car can be plugged in and recharged. This removes a primary obstacle of electric vehicle use, range anxiety. Drivers will not have to worry that they will run out of juice during their drive. The car recharges in about four hours when plugged into a 240V outlet. The Volt’s battery is covered by an eight-year, 160,000-km warranty. The car accelerates from 0-100 km/h in a tick over 9 seconds, and can cruise at 160 km/h.
The exterior is suitably sleek, with flush surfaces and of course no openings for radiator cooling. Inside, it’s all high tech, with a touch-screen center console, high-resolution LCD monitor as the “gauge cluster,” standard OnStar, GM’s satellite-assisted service, and apparently a roomy cabin for four. Full retail price is $41,000. GM is quoting a price of $33,500, net of applicable tax credits. Will Chevrolet Philippines dare to launch this vehicle to face down the very expensive Prius? We predict: no.
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