Who revived the electric car? It might just be General Motors. The giant automaker brought its all-new Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid to the 2007 Detroit auto show, a preview of what could be the environmentally-friendly electric propulsion system of the future.
As TheCarConnection.com reveals in a longer preview, the Volt concept vehicle uses GM’s all-new E-Flex powertrain system. Like current hybrid-electric vehicles, Volt recaptures energy lost during braking or coasting, storing it in a highly efficient lithium-ion battery pack. But those oversized batteries can also be charged up from any 110- or 220-volt electric socket, giving the sedan enough power to run for up to 40 miles without firing up its internal combustion engine.
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According to GM planners, the Volt would save the typical motorist about 500 gallons of fuel annually, equal to about $1200. It would use only $300 in electricity, adding up to a total, yearly savings of about $900. That would also work out to about 4.4 metric tons less of the global warming gas carbon dioxide.
The E-Flex system differs sharply from existing hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius and Saturn Vue Green Line, in that it is a serial, rather than parallel hybrid. “No matter how an E-Flex vehicle is configured, it will always be driven electrically,” said GM CEO Rick Wagoner, because its 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine can only be used to charge the batteries. The wheels are turned by the system’s electric motors.
An alternate version of Volt would use a hydrogen fuel cell instead of the three-cylinder engine.
Senior GM officials confirmed they have given preliminary approval to a production E-Flex program. According to Lutz, the project would cost at least $500 million, but he also stressed that before plug-in technology hits the showroom, significant improvements in lithium-ion battery technology are needed. How soon that might happen remains a matter of debate, though some industry observers believe something like the Volt might be ready for prime time before the end of the decade.
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