Volt mules are meeting EV-only target range
Bob Lutz, GM Vice Chairman and Volt booster, told Edmunds AutoObserver today that the Volt is achieving its 40 mile all-electric target in initial on-road testing. "It is reliably meeting its objectives," Lutz confirmed. "Even with a rough calibration, even with the wrong drive unit, the wrong body, etc. etc., it has been hitting its 40 miles on electric power."There was no word on which of the two battery suppliers' products was installed in these first drives on GM's proving grounds in Michigan. He did say the Volt's Battery Management System was successfully keeping temperature rises to a minimum and maintaining even heat distribution across the cells.
Lutz ever more enthusiastically says the Volt will debut for sale in Chevy showrooms in November 2010. And he went out of his way to underscore Chairman Rick Wagoner's interest and support for the Volt project.
[Source: Edmunds AutoObserver]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ideno 6:57PM (5/14/2008)
Praise Jeebus!
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Wave54 6:59PM (5/14/2008)
Saw an article a few weeks ago that claimed that the 40-mile figure is dependent on regen braking. An excerpt:
"Meanwhile, GM engineers are counting on braking to capture energy that will deliver some 20 percent of the power needed for the Volt's 40-mile battery range. Without any braking -- in perfectly traffic-free highway driving -- the range would be closer to 32 miles, GM engineers said."
Full story:
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.aspx?Feed=OBR&Date=20080403&ID=8438985&Symbol=GM
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Dave 7:30PM (5/14/2008)
40 mile range and the product will be available in two years. I think their competion will be way ahead of that specification in two years.
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Dave 8:16PM (5/14/2008)
40 mile range is easy.
Affordable 40 mile range is hard.
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Dave K. 9:07PM (5/14/2008)
Take it from an old EVer, range is more dependant on speed than anything else. If you drive your Volt 85mph I bet you don't make even 32mi.
On the other hand, if you keep it down to 40-50 I bet you can go 50mi. Your Mileage May Vary.
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Torrent 10:24PM (5/14/2008)
40 miles is great, but If I'm gonna pay 35K+, I'm gonna want more than 40 miles per charge.
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UH2L 11:14PM (5/14/2008)
I (used to) drive about 16,000 miles a year and I would say that 75% of my driving days were 40 miles or less and easily 60% were 30 miles or less so a Volt would have been perfect for me. Even if I couldn't make it on full electric, big deal if the gas engine had to come on for 10 or 20 miles. I'd still have been saving lots of money to drive my car.
The reason I use the past tense is because I took a new job in a totally new metro area and I now live 1.5 miles from work, perfect for my bicycle.
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Dad 11:33PM (5/14/2008)
Very cool!
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jpm100 6:31AM (5/15/2008)
"Saw an article a few weeks ago that claimed that the 40-mile figure is dependent on regen braking"
Regen doesn't create energy. It helps prevent the energy it took to get a vehicle up to speed from going to complete waste when you brake. If you don't need to brake and get the vehicle back up to speed again, you don't need the regen anyway.
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Mirko 9:52AM (5/15/2008)
@jpm00:
Amen.
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