Chevy Unveils Plug-In Hybrid

According to Chevrolet, its Volt concept sedan, unveiled at the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit, could nearly eliminate trips to the gas station.

The Volt is a battery-powered four-passenger vehicle that uses a gasoline engine to create additional electricity to extend its range. It can he fully charged by being plugged into a 110-volt outlet for about six hours. With its lithium-ion battery fully charged, the Volt can deliver 40 city miles of pure electric vehicle range. When the batten is depleted, a 1.0L, 3-cylinder turbocharged engine spins at a constant speed to create electricity and replenish the battery.

GM Vice Chairman Robert A. Lutz said: "If you lived within 30 miles from work (60 miles round trip) and charged your vehicle every night when yon came home or during the day, you would get 150 miles per gallon. More than half of all Americans live within 20 miles of where they work (40 miles round trip). In that case, you might never burn a drop of gas during the life of the car."

The Volt utilizes the GM-patented E-Flex Propulsion System, which consists of an electric drive system, a 53kW direct engine-mounted generator and 3-cylinder, 1.0L turbocharged/intercooled internal combustion engine, dual charge ports, an onboard battery pack and a 12-gol. fuel saddle tank.

If a driver forgets to charge the vehicle or needs to travel a long distance, the Volt would still get 50 mpg by using the engine to convert gasoline into electricity and extending its range up to 640 miles.

Before this concept can become reality, a large lithium-ion battery needs to be developed. Some experts believe that such a battery-or an equivalent-could be production-ready by 2010 to 2012.

Copyright Hearst Business Publishing Feb 2007
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