EPA rates the Volt: 93 MPG-equivalent on electricity, 37 MPG gas, 60 MPG combined
10-11-10, 11:56 AM
#226
Jalopnik logs all the GM lies over the past years and how trade press is trying to write around the issues that car has.
More at Jalopnik:
http://jalopnik.com/5661051/how-gm-l...e-electric-car
In the past, and based on GM's claims, we've gone so far as to call the Volt GM's "Jesus Car." And why wouldn't we call it that? We were told the Volt would achieve 230 MPG fuel economy and would always use the electric drivetrain to motivate the wheels — only using the onboard gasoline engine as a "range extender" for charging the batteries. It now turns out that not only were those fuel economy claims misleading, but the gasoline engine is actually used to motivate the wheels — making the Volt potentially nothing more than a very advanced hybrid car and pushing some automotive journalists like Scott Oldham at Edmunds.com to claim "GM lied to the world" about it.
First of all, let's talk about fuel economy. In August of last year, we heard GM's then-CEO Fritz Henderson claimed with all the marketing might it could muster at a Detroit-area press event, that the Chevy Volt would get 230 MPG in city driving conditions. Now, as the Volt's being tested by the auto trade press, we're seeing some surprisingly low fuel economy figures amid the expected lavish praise buff books are heaping upon the Volt.
Let's see what they've found out. Popular Mechanics saw just 37.5 MPG in city driving. Car and Driver apparently didn't choose to use their wheel time for any city driving — but found with all-electric driving
Let's see what they've found out. Popular Mechanics saw just 37.5 MPG in city driving. Car and Driver apparently didn't choose to use their wheel time for any city driving — but found with all-electric driving
It's enough for us to wonder why GM pushed the 230 MPG number in the first place and why they didn't just come clean on the powertrain this summer when asked a straightforward question.
http://jalopnik.com/5661051/how-gm-l...e-electric-car
10-11-10, 11:58 AM
#227
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Based on Car and Driver's early test, they achieved an all-electric range of 26-high 30s before the gas engine kicked in. Worst-case they achieved was on the highway at 80 mph, and highway driving is what a lot of people do. It's clear the Volt was not mainly designed for highway driving in any case, as its more of a city car.
With the gas engine turned on, C&D averaged 35 mpg, which is not that great compared to a Prius or other models as well.
While in some cases the Volt will get over 30 miles on an electric charge, it likely won't go above 40 miles in real world mixed city and highway driving.
So yes, if you drive more than that each day, there really is no point in getting a Volt over the competition.
Also, the Volt is obviously not a true electric car. This has been obvious to many people since the Volt was announced. The DEFINITION of a hybrid is a vehicle that has two power sources, and the Volt has electric power as well as a gasoline engine power source. So by definition, it is a hybrid, or more specifically a plug-in hybrid. It's different than a Prius, but that doesn't make it an electric car.
10-11-10, 12:01 PM
#228
Did you read my post at all? 
Worst case scenario, at 35 MPG in charge-sustaining mode, the Volt will still deliver better overall MPG numbers than a Prius up to at least 145 consecutive miles non-stop without re-charging. The 35 MPG number was released by Popular Mechanics in their test drive, while driving it rather aggressively. Most normal drivers will probably be able to get 40 MPG in charge-sustaining mode. Now you have to ADD that 40 MPG AFTER the 40 miles all-electric range to determine the true MPG of the Volt (which I have already done - see above).
Worst case scenario, at 35 MPG in charge-sustaining mode, the Volt will still deliver better overall MPG numbers than a Prius up to at least 145 consecutive miles non-stop without re-charging. The 35 MPG number was released by Popular Mechanics in their test drive, while driving it rather aggressively. Most normal drivers will probably be able to get 40 MPG in charge-sustaining mode. Now you have to ADD that 40 MPG AFTER the 40 miles all-electric range to determine the true MPG of the Volt (which I have already done - see above).
http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars...lt-range-tests
10-11-10, 12:11 PM
#229
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Popular mechanic didnt drive it aggressively... Also problem is that small engine doesnt have enough power to properly power the Volt, so you might be left in limp back home mode where only minimal power is left (read Motortrend).
Also big thing to note is that Volt is 20k more expensive than Prius. Prius PHEV with 13 mile range is only going to be 1.5k to 3k more expensive than Volt. And its average mpg is going to be very close to Volts due to much better out of juice mileage.
Also big thing to note is that Volt is 20k more expensive than Prius. Prius PHEV with 13 mile range is only going to be 1.5k to 3k more expensive than Volt. And its average mpg is going to be very close to Volts due to much better out of juice mileage.
I think you're not looking at the big picture here though. For many Volt owners, there is a strong likelihood that they will never need to re-fuel their Volt with gas. Many owners will drive less than the 40 miles per day and be able to re-charge their vehicle before their next use. That can never ever happen with a Prius, as it still relies heavily on its ICE.
Personally, I'm more of a fan of the Nissan Leaf and its 100 mile range. I think the sweet spot will be when Nissan adds a range-extender to the leaf, as GM has done with the Volt. Though I still think this is a great first step for GM and the Volt - No other car company has ever created a car like this and they should be given credit for the concept and actually bringing it to market first.
10-11-10, 12:20 PM
#230
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Toyota will be coming with an electric car in the next few years. If that has a range over 100 miles, it will make the Volt seem even more pointless. This is on top of electric car competition from other automakers as well.
As for the plug-in Prius, yes while 13 miles electric range may not be close to the Volt's electric range, the fuel economy during hybrid driving should be far superior to the Volt.
Also the Volt is not a car that will be able to travel a large distance on one tank of gas, due to the mediocre fuel economy when the gas engine turns on, and due to the small gas tank.
As for the plug-in Prius, yes while 13 miles electric range may not be close to the Volt's electric range, the fuel economy during hybrid driving should be far superior to the Volt.
Also the Volt is not a car that will be able to travel a large distance on one tank of gas, due to the mediocre fuel economy when the gas engine turns on, and due to the small gas tank.
10-11-10, 12:20 PM
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Facts and numbers? This is going by GM's own numbers. They recently revised the electric range of the car down to 25 to 50 miles.
Based on Car and Driver's early test, they achieved an all-electric range of 26-high 30s before the gas engine kicked in. Worst-case they achieved was on the highway at 80 mph, and highway driving is what a lot of people do. It's clear the Volt was not mainly designed for highway driving in any case, as its more of a city car.
With the gas engine turned on, C&D averaged 35 mpg, which is not that great compared to a Prius or other models as well.
While in some cases the Volt will get over 30 miles on an electric charge, it likely won't go above 40 miles in real world mixed city and highway driving.
So yes, if you drive more than that each day, there really is no point in getting a Volt over the competition.
Also, the Volt is obviously not a true electric car. This has been obvious to many people since the Volt was announced. The DEFINITION of a hybrid is a vehicle that has two power sources, and the Volt has electric power as well as a gasoline engine power source. So by definition, it is a hybrid, or more specifically a plug-in hybrid. It's different than a Prius, but that doesn't make it an electric car.
Based on Car and Driver's early test, they achieved an all-electric range of 26-high 30s before the gas engine kicked in. Worst-case they achieved was on the highway at 80 mph, and highway driving is what a lot of people do. It's clear the Volt was not mainly designed for highway driving in any case, as its more of a city car.
With the gas engine turned on, C&D averaged 35 mpg, which is not that great compared to a Prius or other models as well.
While in some cases the Volt will get over 30 miles on an electric charge, it likely won't go above 40 miles in real world mixed city and highway driving.
So yes, if you drive more than that each day, there really is no point in getting a Volt over the competition.
Also, the Volt is obviously not a true electric car. This has been obvious to many people since the Volt was announced. The DEFINITION of a hybrid is a vehicle that has two power sources, and the Volt has electric power as well as a gasoline engine power source. So by definition, it is a hybrid, or more specifically a plug-in hybrid. It's different than a Prius, but that doesn't make it an electric car.
And no, most people do not drive 80 MPH on the highway. Clearly they were driving their Volt hard, which in turn resulted in less than stellar numbers. Remember that test (I believe it was Top Gear) between the M3 and the Prius in which both were driven hard and showed that the Prius only achieved 17 MPG while the M3 achieved 19 MPG? Same thing applies here.
10-11-10, 12:34 PM
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Yes, if. That's a big if. Toyota seems to be in no rush to come out with an EV anytime soon. But if and when they do, the competition (GM, Nissan, etc) will have already had their EVs on the road for awhile and be working on the next generation of EVs. Competition never sits still.
10-11-10, 12:39 PM
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No, I meant numbers that show the Prius is more fuel-efficient than the Volt. Still waiting for those numbers from you.
And no, most people do not drive 80 MPH on the highway. Clearly they were driving their Volt hard, which in turn resulted in less than stellar numbers. Remember that test (I believe it was Top Gear) between the M3 and the Prius in which both were driven hard and showed that the Prius only achieved 17 MPG while the M3 achieved 19 MPG? Same thing applies here.
And no, most people do not drive 80 MPH on the highway. Clearly they were driving their Volt hard, which in turn resulted in less than stellar numbers. Remember that test (I believe it was Top Gear) between the M3 and the Prius in which both were driven hard and showed that the Prius only achieved 17 MPG while the M3 achieved 19 MPG? Same thing applies here.
Are you seriously asking for real world Prius numbers? They're all over the internet.
Here are some links:
http://green.autoblog.com/2009/03/25...p-big-numbers/
Originally Posted by Autoblog Green
The Prius' chief engineer, Akihiko Otsuka, drove a 33-mile route in and around Napa and averaged 62.9 mpg. During the drive week, he levied a Beat-The-Chief challenge to anyone who wanted to take him on. AutoblogGreen was able to get the in-dash display to read in the mid- to low-70s for most of the route, but the last ten miles on a busy 55-mph road dropped that to 64.5 mpg. Not bad, but only good for a standing near the absolute bottom of the rankings among other journalists. Overall, the best score was 94.6 mpg, although that involved some less-than-real-world driving behaviors and conditions. The best "honest" score was 75.3 mpg. In all, about half of the journalists were able to get over 70 mpg, while the rest, save two, were able to get more than 66 mpg.
Originally Posted by The Car Connection
On a total loop of 33.2 miles, I logged in at 69.5 miles per gallon, without even really trying--just coasting to stops, accelerating very gradually and using the Prius' EV mode to coast into our host hotel. It's 70-mpg performance, if you're only counting two sig figs--and even that was strictly mid-pack. One pair of drivers hit 75.3 miles per gallon under vaguely real-world driving conditions.
Originally Posted by Inside Line
Also, our Prius test car averages 52.2 mpg on a 115-mile fuel economy test loop that's 60 percent highway driving. Pile on a few dozen more Prius-friendly city miles and mid-50s would be easily attainable.
Yes, if. That's a big if. Toyota seems to be in no rush to come out with an EV anytime soon. But if and when they do, the competition (GM, Nissan, etc) will have already had their EVs on the road for awhile and be working on the next generation of EVs. Competition never sits still.
Toyota is coming with an EV. It's not a question of if, only a question of when.
You're also making a BIG assumption that Toyota is sitting still. Toyota's EV upon release could very well be a class leader.
10-11-10, 01:06 PM
#234
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10-11-10, 02:48 PM
#235
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Judging by a number of the recent posts in this thread, it appears that some of you don't understand the differences between a regular gas/electric hybrid, an extended-range-hybrid, and a full battery/electric car. For those of you who DO understand it, you can ignore this post...it doesn't apply to you. But, for those of you who don't, here's the scoop:
CONVENTIONAL HYBRIDS
Regular conventional gas/electric hybrids come in two basic forms.....Series and Parallel. The Series-Hybrid is best-represented by the Honda IMA system. Series-hybrids cannot run on the electric-motor alone, and rely primarily on a gas engine that starts up from cold and shuts off at stops to save gas (when the gas engine is sufficiently warm and the battery-pack is charged)It uses the electric motor primarily as a torque-boost when more power is needed and as a starter to get the gas engine going again when starting up from a stop. It has only a limited effect on added power and gas-mileage because of its relative inflexibility. The Parallel-Hybrid, on the other hand, best-represented by Toyota/Lexus/Ford systems, can operate (battery-charge-condition allowing) solely on the electric motor for a limited period, until the battery-pack discharges to the point where the gas-engine has to start up again to charge it back up again (and to keep the oil/coolant in the gas engine reasonably warm). In the most recent Parallel-Hybrids, like the 3Gen Prius, with efficient lithium-on battery-packs, the electric motor can operate for maybe several miles on its own, before the gas engine has to cut in to recharge things. The Parallel-hybrid, like the Series-Hybrid, of course, can operate with both gas and electric at the same time when more power is demanded....that is why some Ford and Toyota vehicles have the gimmicky power-flow meter on the dash that shows you, with colored-arrows, which engine is powering the drive wheels at any given moment, and to what extent. The parallel-hybrid system is more-flexible than the simpler series-system, and gets better MPG, especially in the city where the gas engine runs less, but is more expensive to build and install at the assembly-plant.
EXTENDED-RANGE/PLUG-IN HYBRIDS
The Extended-Range Hybrid, sometimes known as the Plug-in Hybrid, differs from both regular series and parallel hybrids in that they can (as the name implies) run further on the battery-packs alone without the gas-engine, or can be plugged-into an electrical-outlet and charged up (at a standstill) without the gas-engine at all, like a pure-electric. When the gas engine is need, it runs, like a Parallel-Hybrid, until the battery-pack is recharged again. This type of system is best-represented by the (thread-topic) Chevrolet Volt and the upcoming Extended-Range Toyota Prius. Extended-Range-Hybrids, with the present (Lithium-Ion) level of batter-pack engineering, can run up to 40 miles on a full-battery charge, then generally require the gas engine to start up to do some recharging. If one doesn't drive those 40 miles (or, depending on conditions, the battery-capacity), then, of course, it never needs to be plugged-in.....it can be operated like a conventional Parallel-Hybrid, albeit it one with better gas-mileage. That is why the Chevy Volt and Extended-Range Prius will be able, under ideal conditions, to get up to 70 or 80 MPG.
PURE-ELECTRIC
Pure-electric cars, sometimes called Battery-Electrics, of course, rely ONLY on the electric motor and battery-pack for propulsion....there is no internal-combustion gas or diesel engine at all. Pure-electrics, of course, have zero-tailpipe pollution from the vehicle itself (though the electric power-plant, where the electricity is generated, may pollute from coal-burning or nuclear-fuel), and require little or no regular powertrain maintenance like with a gas engine. They have the disadvantages, though, of limited operating range, especially under power-draining conditions like bad weather and steep hills, and requiring a charging-outlet that will fit the plug wherever they go. This type of vehicle is best-represented by the Teslas, Nissan Leaf, All-Electric Wheegos, the upcoming electric Fiat 500, and the the now-defunct GM Impact.
There are also other types of electric-motor vehicles, such as the fuel-cell vehicle (best-represented by the Honda FCX and Fuel-Cell Mercedes A/B-Class), which use compressed-hydrogen (at 50,000 PSI) and an on-board fuel-cell to generate electricity for the motor, but, for purposes of this thread, do not apply to the topic at hand.
CONVENTIONAL HYBRIDS
Regular conventional gas/electric hybrids come in two basic forms.....Series and Parallel. The Series-Hybrid is best-represented by the Honda IMA system. Series-hybrids cannot run on the electric-motor alone, and rely primarily on a gas engine that starts up from cold and shuts off at stops to save gas (when the gas engine is sufficiently warm and the battery-pack is charged)It uses the electric motor primarily as a torque-boost when more power is needed and as a starter to get the gas engine going again when starting up from a stop. It has only a limited effect on added power and gas-mileage because of its relative inflexibility. The Parallel-Hybrid, on the other hand, best-represented by Toyota/Lexus/Ford systems, can operate (battery-charge-condition allowing) solely on the electric motor for a limited period, until the battery-pack discharges to the point where the gas-engine has to start up again to charge it back up again (and to keep the oil/coolant in the gas engine reasonably warm). In the most recent Parallel-Hybrids, like the 3Gen Prius, with efficient lithium-on battery-packs, the electric motor can operate for maybe several miles on its own, before the gas engine has to cut in to recharge things. The Parallel-hybrid, like the Series-Hybrid, of course, can operate with both gas and electric at the same time when more power is demanded....that is why some Ford and Toyota vehicles have the gimmicky power-flow meter on the dash that shows you, with colored-arrows, which engine is powering the drive wheels at any given moment, and to what extent. The parallel-hybrid system is more-flexible than the simpler series-system, and gets better MPG, especially in the city where the gas engine runs less, but is more expensive to build and install at the assembly-plant.
EXTENDED-RANGE/PLUG-IN HYBRIDS
The Extended-Range Hybrid, sometimes known as the Plug-in Hybrid, differs from both regular series and parallel hybrids in that they can (as the name implies) run further on the battery-packs alone without the gas-engine, or can be plugged-into an electrical-outlet and charged up (at a standstill) without the gas-engine at all, like a pure-electric. When the gas engine is need, it runs, like a Parallel-Hybrid, until the battery-pack is recharged again. This type of system is best-represented by the (thread-topic) Chevrolet Volt and the upcoming Extended-Range Toyota Prius. Extended-Range-Hybrids, with the present (Lithium-Ion) level of batter-pack engineering, can run up to 40 miles on a full-battery charge, then generally require the gas engine to start up to do some recharging. If one doesn't drive those 40 miles (or, depending on conditions, the battery-capacity), then, of course, it never needs to be plugged-in.....it can be operated like a conventional Parallel-Hybrid, albeit it one with better gas-mileage. That is why the Chevy Volt and Extended-Range Prius will be able, under ideal conditions, to get up to 70 or 80 MPG.
PURE-ELECTRIC
Pure-electric cars, sometimes called Battery-Electrics, of course, rely ONLY on the electric motor and battery-pack for propulsion....there is no internal-combustion gas or diesel engine at all. Pure-electrics, of course, have zero-tailpipe pollution from the vehicle itself (though the electric power-plant, where the electricity is generated, may pollute from coal-burning or nuclear-fuel), and require little or no regular powertrain maintenance like with a gas engine. They have the disadvantages, though, of limited operating range, especially under power-draining conditions like bad weather and steep hills, and requiring a charging-outlet that will fit the plug wherever they go. This type of vehicle is best-represented by the Teslas, Nissan Leaf, All-Electric Wheegos, the upcoming electric Fiat 500, and the the now-defunct GM Impact.
There are also other types of electric-motor vehicles, such as the fuel-cell vehicle (best-represented by the Honda FCX and Fuel-Cell Mercedes A/B-Class), which use compressed-hydrogen (at 50,000 PSI) and an on-board fuel-cell to generate electricity for the motor, but, for purposes of this thread, do not apply to the topic at hand.
Last edited by mmarshall; 10-11-10 at 02:59 PM.
10-11-10, 03:11 PM
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Judging by a number of the recent posts in this thread, it appears that some of you don't understand the differences between a regular gas/electric hybrid, an extended-range-hybrid, and a full battery/electric car. For those of you who DO understand it, you can ignore this post...it doesn't apply to you. But, for those of you who don't, here's the scoop:
CONVENTIONAL HYBRIDS
Regular conventional gas/electric hybrids come in two basic forms.....Series and Parallel. The Series-Hybrid is best-represented by the Honda IMA system. Series-hybrids cannot run on the electric-motor alone, and rely primarily on a gas engine that starts up from cold and shuts off at stops to save gas (when the gas engine is sufficiently warm and the battery-pack is charged)It uses the electric motor primarily as a torque-boost when more power is needed and as a starter to get the gas engine going again when starting up from a stop. It has only a limited effect on added power and gas-mileage because of its relative inflexibility. The Parallel-Hybrid, on the other hand, best-represented by Toyota/Lexus/Ford systems, can operate (battery-charge-condition allowing) solely on the electric motor for a limited period, until the battery-pack discharges to the point where the gas-engine has to start up again to charge it back up again (and to keep the oil/coolant in the gas engine reasonably warm). In the most recent Parallel-Hybrids, like the 3Gen Prius, with efficient lithium-on battery-packs, the electric motor can operate for maybe several miles on its own, before the gas engine has to cut in to recharge things. The Parallel-hybrid, like the Series-Hybrid, of course, can operate with both gas and electric at the same time when more power is demanded....that is why some Ford and Toyota vehicles have the gimmicky power-flow meter on the dash that shows you, with colored-arrows, which engine is powering the drive wheels at any given moment, and to what extent. The parallel-hybrid system is more-flexible than the simpler series-system, and gets better MPG, especially in the city where the gas engine runs less, but is more expensive to build and install at the assembly-plant.
EXTENDED-RANGE/PLUG-IN HYBRIDS
The Extended-Range Hybrid, sometimes known as the Plug-in Hybrid, differs from both regular series and parallel hybrids in that they can (as the name implies) run further on the battery-packs alone without the gas-engine, or can be plugged-into an electrical-outlet and charged up (at a standstill) without the gas-engine at all, like a pure-electric. When the gas engine is need, it runs, like a Parallel-Hybrid, until the battery-pack is recharged again. This type of system is best-represented by the (thread-topic) Chevrolet Volt and the upcoming Extended-Range Toyota Prius. Extended-Range-Hybrids, with the present (Lithium-Ion) level of batter-pack engineering, can run up to 40 miles on a full-battery charge, then generally require the gas engine to start up to do some recharging. If one doesn't drive those 40 miles (or, depending on conditions, the battery-capacity), then, of course, it never needs to be plugged-in.....it can be operated like a conventional Parallel-Hybrid, albeit it one with better gas-mileage. That is why the Chevy Volt and Extended-Range Prius will be able, under ideal conditions, to get up to 70 or 80 MPG.
PURE-ELECTRIC
Pure-electric cars, sometimes called Battery-Electrics, of course, rely ONLY on the electric motor and battery-pack for propulsion....there is no internal-combustion gas or diesel engine at all. Pure-electrics, of course, have zero-tailpipe pollution from the vehicle itself (though the electric power-plant, where the electricity is generated, may pollute from coal-burning or nuclear-fuel), and require little or no regular powertrain maintenance like with a gas engine. They have the disadvantages, though, of limited operating range, especially under power-draining conditions like bad weather and steep hills, and requiring a charging-outlet that will fit the plug wherever they go. This type of vehicle is best-represented by the Teslas, Nissan Leaf, All-Electric Wheegos, the upcoming electric Fiat 500, and the the now-defunct GM Impact.
There are also other types of electric-motor vehicles, such as the fuel-cell vehicle (best-represented by the Honda FCX and Fuel-Cell Mercedes A/B-Class), which use compressed-hydrogen (at 50,000 PSI) and an on-board fuel-cell to generate electricity for the motor, but, for purposes of this thread, do not apply to the topic at hand.
CONVENTIONAL HYBRIDS
Regular conventional gas/electric hybrids come in two basic forms.....Series and Parallel. The Series-Hybrid is best-represented by the Honda IMA system. Series-hybrids cannot run on the electric-motor alone, and rely primarily on a gas engine that starts up from cold and shuts off at stops to save gas (when the gas engine is sufficiently warm and the battery-pack is charged)It uses the electric motor primarily as a torque-boost when more power is needed and as a starter to get the gas engine going again when starting up from a stop. It has only a limited effect on added power and gas-mileage because of its relative inflexibility. The Parallel-Hybrid, on the other hand, best-represented by Toyota/Lexus/Ford systems, can operate (battery-charge-condition allowing) solely on the electric motor for a limited period, until the battery-pack discharges to the point where the gas-engine has to start up again to charge it back up again (and to keep the oil/coolant in the gas engine reasonably warm). In the most recent Parallel-Hybrids, like the 3Gen Prius, with efficient lithium-on battery-packs, the electric motor can operate for maybe several miles on its own, before the gas engine has to cut in to recharge things. The Parallel-hybrid, like the Series-Hybrid, of course, can operate with both gas and electric at the same time when more power is demanded....that is why some Ford and Toyota vehicles have the gimmicky power-flow meter on the dash that shows you, with colored-arrows, which engine is powering the drive wheels at any given moment, and to what extent. The parallel-hybrid system is more-flexible than the simpler series-system, and gets better MPG, especially in the city where the gas engine runs less, but is more expensive to build and install at the assembly-plant.
EXTENDED-RANGE/PLUG-IN HYBRIDS
The Extended-Range Hybrid, sometimes known as the Plug-in Hybrid, differs from both regular series and parallel hybrids in that they can (as the name implies) run further on the battery-packs alone without the gas-engine, or can be plugged-into an electrical-outlet and charged up (at a standstill) without the gas-engine at all, like a pure-electric. When the gas engine is need, it runs, like a Parallel-Hybrid, until the battery-pack is recharged again. This type of system is best-represented by the (thread-topic) Chevrolet Volt and the upcoming Extended-Range Toyota Prius. Extended-Range-Hybrids, with the present (Lithium-Ion) level of batter-pack engineering, can run up to 40 miles on a full-battery charge, then generally require the gas engine to start up to do some recharging. If one doesn't drive those 40 miles (or, depending on conditions, the battery-capacity), then, of course, it never needs to be plugged-in.....it can be operated like a conventional Parallel-Hybrid, albeit it one with better gas-mileage. That is why the Chevy Volt and Extended-Range Prius will be able, under ideal conditions, to get up to 70 or 80 MPG.
PURE-ELECTRIC
Pure-electric cars, sometimes called Battery-Electrics, of course, rely ONLY on the electric motor and battery-pack for propulsion....there is no internal-combustion gas or diesel engine at all. Pure-electrics, of course, have zero-tailpipe pollution from the vehicle itself (though the electric power-plant, where the electricity is generated, may pollute from coal-burning or nuclear-fuel), and require little or no regular powertrain maintenance like with a gas engine. They have the disadvantages, though, of limited operating range, especially under power-draining conditions like bad weather and steep hills, and requiring a charging-outlet that will fit the plug wherever they go. This type of vehicle is best-represented by the Teslas, Nissan Leaf, All-Electric Wheegos, the upcoming electric Fiat 500, and the the now-defunct GM Impact.
There are also other types of electric-motor vehicles, such as the fuel-cell vehicle (best-represented by the Honda FCX and Fuel-Cell Mercedes A/B-Class), which use compressed-hydrogen (at 50,000 PSI) and an on-board fuel-cell to generate electricity for the motor, but, for purposes of this thread, do not apply to the topic at hand.
10-11-10, 03:28 PM
#238
Lexus Fanatic
This is a good post describing the differences for those who do not understand, except you forgot to mention E-REV (Extended Range Electric Vehicle) which is what the Volt is classified as. It's not a hybrid or even an extended-range hybrid in that at no point when the ICE is activated is it operating as a "hybrid". Up to 40 miles, it is a pure electric car and beyond that, the ICE turns on and takes over as the SOLE source to power the car. The ICE does NOT charge the batteries at any time. It is nothing like a Prius in this sense. The Volt in NOT a hybrid and it's NOT a plug-in hybrid either.
http://www.chevydealer.com/MiscPage_...Fd9n5QodXDULjA
Last edited by mmarshall; 10-11-10 at 03:36 PM.
10-11-10, 03:30 PM
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The Volt's gas engine has a direct mechanical link to the wheels, and directly powers the wheels at some points (high speed or when the battery is low). It is a hybrid. Period. You need to stop believing the GM hype.
10-11-10, 03:35 PM
#240
Lexus Fanatic
Yes. TRDFantasy is correct. It is an extended-range hybrid, no matter how the words are packaged.