the Chevrolet Volt, the Electric Car AMERICAN The increasingly stringent regulations have forced the sudden change of direction, but the green car, created to satisfy governments and environmentalists, it becomes a marketing tool and a basis for future market.
Chevrolet
The solution is called "extended range vehicle." Which translated means: extended-range electric car. That is the main engine is a power of 111 kW. Two sources of energy : A package of lithium batteries and a gasoline engine from 1.4 to 84 hp that works as a generator. The batteries are recharged at an outlet or on the move by recovering energy during deceleration. The gas will not recharge the batteries, it would be an inefficient process, but maintains the charge level.
There are four modes of travel: with fresh batteries, for the first 80 miles the car travels driven only by the lithium battery pack. If this range is pushed in firmly on the gas generator, used to convert direct current energy from the gasoline is transformed into electric engine, providing a boost of power to the electric main.
, once the battery starts running on gasoline, coupled through a clutch to the generator, producing the energy needed to meet the academic requirements of the electric motor and the driver's needs for additional 490 km fourth and last mode: always batteries, high-speed mode or car mountain, the gasoline engine can help traction.
General Motors has always been identified as the Volt an electric car. The contribution of petrol is only for a few moments and under specific conditions unfavorable. The time to recharge the batteries from a standard home outlet is about 4 hours. Within the space
is for 4 people (the central tunnel is partially occupied by the battery pack). The setting is American: the rational, practical but the big center console White Apple may seem a bit 'cheap. Push the power button, move the gear selector in drive great, and the Volt is ready to go: the electric motor drives with a torque of 368 Nm, without waiting for the engine speed.
The car is an indication to keep on driving style and to reduce power consumption, instrumentation is a digital Econometer shaped ball. The go a little 'and besides the dynamic behavior of the Volt Neutral is always a sign that the battery pack does not affect the handling.
Good input on the curve: The Chevrolet always fits by cutting corners in an optimal manner. The insertion between batteries and gasoline do not feel if it was not an indication pears in digital instrumentation. The perception is that of the past where the muffled silence of the gear is replaced by the noisy electric motor mechanic. In the first part of braking power is used to recover energy.
Performance is always the same at both batteries in extended range from 0 to 100 km / h in 9 seconds and top speed 160 km / h. Consumption is equal to zero when the Volt is powered by batteries, some 14 km / l with gasoline. The Volt will arrive in late 2011.