Chevy Volt’s Lithium-Ion Batteries Road- Tested By Month’s End
GM’s plug-in hybrid electric car, the Chevy Volt, will have its lithium-ion batteries road-tested by end of the month. Engineers have already been testing the Volt’s electrical hybrid system, the so-called E-Flex architecture, but only with nickel-metal hydride hybrid batteries in place. The newer, more advanced lithium-ion batteries are seen as the key to to the vehicle, since they store energy more efficiently than other batteries of the same size.
Last week, GM engineers worked to replace the nickel-metal hydride batteries with lithium-ion batteries in three different test-vehicle “mules”. These trial vehicles have allowed engineers to fine tune and improve components of the vehicle system, before putting it all together into something that more closely resembles the final Volt production model. GM hopes to complete road-testing for the Volt by November 2010.
For the last 6 months they’ve been driving their well-guarded secret around underneath the skin of a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu.
GM’s vision is to create a vehicle that can drive on pure electricity for 40 miles before an onboard gasoline generator kicks in to recharge the battery pack. After that, according to GM-Volt.com, the car will get about 50 mpg, which could iron out to a total equivalent of 150 MPG. The Volt will have a range of about 400 miles per tank, down from the original 640 mile estimate due to a smaller, lighter fuel tank going into the production model.
Since most of us don’t drive more than 40 miles per day, the Volt could usher in a new era of plug-in hybrids that save a lot of gas and significantly increase fuel economy. GM is betting on the Volt to help them meet the new CAFE standards, which require an average fleet fuel economy of 35 MPG.
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Source: Freep.com (April 4, 08): Volt battery to get test-drives, Lithium-ion power to get trial run
Photo Credit: GM-Volt.com
This article falsely implies that GM’s li ion batery packs haven’t yet been tested. That is completely false - they have been running in the lab under thousands of different driving scenarios and environmental conditions. The testing in the car is not so much a test of the batteries as it is a test of the system as a whole. It would be an extremely inefficient method for testing batteries, since so many things are not under their control. In fact, the battery testing is being conducted by an automated system in the lab and will continue nonstop for the next two years until the Volt goes to the showrooms in order to estimate battery pack lifespan and thus get a determination of warranty costs.
[...] Chevy Volt’s Lithium-Ion Batteries Road- Tested By Month’s End [...]
Okay so the EV1 in 1990’s could get 160miles to an electric charge but ten years later the best we can do is 40 miles:S
General Motors is still in “bed” with the oil companies with the new Chevy Volt……..or they
are still incapapble of really thinking completely out of the box.
NO WHERE is there any mention of using Natural Gas
as a Bi-fuel along with gasoline to power the one liter motor in the volt.
If they put that option in the volt (CNG)……..
I could put natural gas and electricity into the
volt in my garage………..AND NEVER HAVE TO
STOP BY THE CONVIENCE STORE EXCEPT FOR A CANDY
BAR AND A COKE……unless I am on vacation with
the car.
As a matter of fact the one liter engine (since
it runs at pretty much a constant speed) would
be better off if it were an advanced designed
stirling engine.
And…….Natural Gas can be made synthetically
from water and CO2 and solar/wind/geothermal
energy utilizing the long know Sabatier process.
And there you have it our ultimate solution to
Energy Independence……..Chevy Volt/Natural Gas/
Sabatier Process/solar/wind/geothermal…….and
my garage. No Gas Station unless I am on vacation
or traveling away on business.
Is that so hard?
Thanks,
Get the conversation about this concept started
around the country and ask GM the hard question.
When will this thing (Volt) be available with
a Natural Gas Stirling Engine instead of the
gasoline powered internal combustion engine.
Jim Brooks
GM just wants to sell SUVs. This Volt is just eye candy. And who knows, it might not be up to snuff. One thing is for sure, it will not be the only game in town.
GM should’ve been thinking ahead like Toyota and other foreign car manufacturers. At $40,000, the Volt should get a heck of a lot further on a tank of gas than 400 miles. I don’t think being in bed with the oil companies is going to pay off for them, especially when they’ve had to rush production of this vehicle and haven’t had enough time to properly test everything. I for sure won’t be buying one.
[...] a small amount of fuel to create more compressed air, sort of like how a plug-in hybrid like the Chevy Volt produces on-the-fly electricity. The hybrid air-car setup should be able use any number of fuels, [...]
[...] “Chevy Volt’s Lithium-Ion Batteries…” [...]
we need to start buying made in the US cars….Everyone
Why not use continous gravitational magnetic power.No batteries,no fuel.