Gm volt how does it work

Most hybrids will use gas power when you first start the car and during acceleration and stops. But although the Volt does offer fantastic innovation in its running model, its battery capacity is still on the small side for electric vehicles. In that case, the Volt still has you covered. In addition to the electric battery, the car also comes with a full gasoline engine. That engine offers a range of more than miles. Instead of running on gasoline to power the car, it powers a smaller electric generator which in turn powers the car.

This means that the gas engine can run on one constant speed, improving gas efficiency. Mileage and Environmental Impact The fuel efficiency of the Volt is hard to calculate since it uses both gas and electricity. The electric engine gets miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent; in other words, the same amount of energy as a gallon of gasoline would produce will get you miles on electric in the Volt.

And because of the increased fuel efficiency, the gas engine gets 42 miles to the gallon. There are some hard numbers that support the idea that the Volt is better for the environment. The EPA estimates that the Volt puts off just grams of CO2 and other pollutants per mile, compared to for an average vehicle.

Even the Toyota Prius, another hybrid electric vehicle, puts off grams per mile. In , they introduced the Bolt EV, a fully electric vehicle that can run miles on pure electric power.

And with a price tag that most people can afford, the Bolt makes electric vehicles far more accessible. Geely shows its Tesla Semi rival. And could a new method work for keeping EV charging cables cool? This and more, here at Green Car Reports. The first mass-production electric vehicle from Subaru took a bow last night in prototype form. A Geely brand plans to roll out the sustainability-themed, data-focused electric semi to global markets beginning in A cooling method being explored by Ford and Purdue University is considering using coolant phase changes instead of just circulating liquid; that could introduce packaging advantages and make the system more efficient.

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An issue with the gasoline engine in some hybrid models from Kia and Hyundai has triggered a recall—and in some cases, a warranty extension. Those who aren't seriously considering an EV might be more easily convinced if they could skip heavy charge cables and plugging in.

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This means that, even when the small battery is completely depleted, the Volt can maintain highway speeds using only the gas engine and generator. However, in those scenarios, the Volt is literally running at half power, with a small buffer in the battery for short surges of power.

Deplete that buffer, however, and the Volt drops into Reduced Power mode. Even in the small, aerodynamic Volt, maintaining freeway speeds up a significant grade can be a struggle, especially under reduced power.

Undaunted, Voltec proponents also point to Toyota's plug-in hybrids as evidence that GM could apply the Voltec platform to larger vehicles. Toyota's HSD emphasizes the internal combustion engine over the electric motor system.

For example, the Toyota Prius Prime's internal combustion engine alone is capable of outputting 93 hp while the two onboard electric motors can only combine for 91 horsepower.

Essentially, Toyota's plug-in hybrid system is designed to run off the gas engine under all circumstances but off the electrical propulsion system only under limited circumstances. That's the exact opposite of the way the Voltec system works in the Chevy Volt. In other words, in order to achieve what Toyota is doing with their HSD, GM would need to fundamentally change the Voltec architecture.

It would lose its essence as an electric vehicle powertrain with a gas generator backup, and it would become just another hybrid. To support a larger format vehicle — an Equinox, for argument's sake — the range extender couldn't just be proportionally bigger because the power required to overcome aerodynamic drag would be far higher in a larger vehicle. For an Equinox sized vehicle, the range extender couldn't be same half-peak-power configuration used in the Volt if it is to be capable of overcoming drag at freeway speeds.

Rather, it would likely need to be at least two thirds to three quarters of peak power. So if a Voltec Equinox had a kW hp main drive motor, the backup generator would likely need to be at least kW hp. That represents significantly higher costs, increased weight, and larger powertrain volume.

These result from a larger engine possibly a six cylinder like the Pacifica Hybrid — another plug-in hybrid that is only partial electric to a larger fuel tank required to support lower fuel economy.

This is before any considerations are made for towing or other heavy loads, and this is in the Equinox, which is a relatively efficient midsize SUV. The Voltec system would scale even more poorly for larger, less efficient SUVs, and it definitely wouldn't work for trucks. The result would be similar to the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, which was anything but a success story. One simply needs to look at how GM has followed up since that announcement. For example, GM is converting the shuttered Detroit-Hamtramck plant where the Chevy Volt was built to build electric vehicles.

For these larger format vehicles, the elegance and simplicity of an all-electric powertrain far exceeds what could be done with any variation of a hybrid drive system, plug-in or otherwise.

That is especially true in the case of a vehicle like an Escalade EV. Simply imagine what would happen if a Voltec powertrain was scaled up and used in a Cadillac Escalade EV, and then compare that to a competing all-electric such as the Rivian R1S. It's really no contest at this point; a to mile all-electric SUV presents a far greater value proposition than a hybrid SUV that is sometimes electric.

Even at kWh per large truck or SUV a good guess, in my opinion , GM would be able to produce as many as , of these large-format EVs each year. Essentially, they killed off the Volt before they had a ready, all-electric replacement.

While the Chevrolet Bolt EV is a great multipurpose electric vehicle and an excellent runabout, it's not as capable at freeway speed, long distance travel as a smaller, more aerodynamic electric sedan would be e. The Volt's hatchback sedan format was a high-efficiency platform that would perform well as an all-electric, long distance vehicle. If they continued using the same Volt platform, GM would need to get creative with how they packaged the battery for an all-electric Volt such as what Opel did with their Corsa-e or Porsche did with the Taycan , but dropping the internal combustion engine and supporting components in particular, the fuel and exhaust system would open up enough volume to add significantly more energy capacity.

If GM could find enough room for even a 50 kWh battery pack again, similar to the Opel Corsa-e , an all-electric Chevy Volt could easily exceed miles of range, even at freeway speeds. Plus, it would be positioned very well against something like Hyundai's recently refreshed Ioniq Electric with miles of range.

In my opinion, the better choice would have been to simply adapt the BEV2 chassis which is already used in the Chevy Bolt EV to an existing sedan format.

My preference would be the Chevrolet Malibu, which would easily achieve miles of EPA range, even with a modest 70 kWh battery pack. This would also better align with customer expectations as shared by GM President Mark Reuss in a recent article, though it still wouldn't resolve the issue of upfront price parity with an internal combustion vehicle. Some Volt Owners Are Still Addicted to Gas Still, it appears that for many of the Volt owners who are most critical of GM's decision to end the Voltec program, even a mile all-electric sedan wouldn't be good enough.

Whether this is because they live in an area where they feel the public charging infrastructure is insufficient or they simply aren't aware of what is available because they are still fueling with gas on long trips, these drivers are insistent that GM needs to continue down the plug-in hybrid path. For those Voltec and plug-in hybrid proponents, I can only say that they might want to simply stick with gasoline.

Based on my experience, the Volt and other plug-in hybrids only fit a very narrow set of driving needs, and more than enough Volts have already been produced to serve that market. As a Volt owner, I fully appreciate the tens of thousands of all-electric miles of driving I was able to do in the Volt. Even when the infrastructure wasn't in place and I couldn't afford any of the longer range all-electric vehicles capable of meeting my demanding driving needs, the Volt was an option.

If, as a Volt driver, you rarely exceed the all-electric range, it's very likely that a number of similarly priced all-electric vehicles that are currently on the market would serve your needs better than the Volt. Not only are there a number of functionally different vehicle formats to choose from, you may never need to plug these vehicles in away from home or work.

On the other hand, if you always run past the Volt's generous all-electric range, it's very likely that a number of cheaper or similarly priced vehicles would better suit your needs. I understand that driving a standard hybrid doesn't carry the same cachet as driving an "electric," but burning that much gas in a Volt really makes it nothing more than an expensive, inefficient hybrid. One of the key reasons I got the Chevy Bolt EV was because, in my regular routine, I was burning at least 6 gallons of gas a week in my Volt.

When I threw onto that my regular road trips, I was easily burning 30 to 40 gallons of gas a month in a car that's supposed to be primarily electric. Even my mother to whom I gave my Volt is going through at least one 9 gallon gas tank a month, and she doesn't even drive it that often. I also understand that going fully electric can be daunting because of its learning curve and lack of familiarity. And yes, in some parts of the country, the public charging infrastructure simply doesn't support long distance travel in a fully electric vehicle.

However, those aren't the geographical areas where the Volt was selling well anyway. A majority of Chevy Volts were sold in California where, despite delays and interference from permitting offices and public utilities, the public charging infrastructure is more robust than anywhere else in the nation.

Essentially, if you can't make an all-electric work in a state like California, you'll probably be stuck burning gas for a very, very long time. While I do agree that GM needs a sleek, efficient plug-in sedan in their lineup in order to offset one of the biggest EV weaknesses high-speed driving range , I disagree with pursuing internal combustion range extending technology any further.

Eric is also an instructional designer and technical writer with more than 15 years of writing experience. He also hosts the News Coulomb video blog, which focuses on electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and renewable energy. Eric is an active member of the EV Advocates of Ventura County , a volunteer organization focused on increasing the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

Skip to main content. By Eric Way Dec 13 - am. GM has faced massive scrutiny for their decision to end the Chevrolet Volt program, and that backlash has come from both Volt proponents and those who claim GM isn't serious about an "all-electric future.

Visit Torque News homepage for more stories. Electric Vehicle News, Reviews and Analysis. Chevrolet News, Pricing and Reviews. Chevy Bolt News, Reviews and Pricing.

Chevy Volt. Subscribe to Torque News on YouTube. There are several points that I agree with in your article, but we fundamentally disagree with GM's choice to kill off the Volt.

You partially concede that killing the Volt was a bad idea because they didn't have any EV to replace the Volt with. I agree that was ONE of the reasons why it was a poor decision, but there were many others as well. Sure the Volt's drivetrain would not be a good substitute for a full sized truck's turbocharged V8 diesel engine for hauling and towing, but most people just use their vehicles for commuting, and it would work quite well for that use.

As a comparison, the Chevy Colorado's base 2. Certainly the drag coefficient and frontal area is greater on a crossover or truck, but seeing that the base gas engines handle those same loads without problems, the electric motors would do at least as well. Even if they used the Gen II Volt's drivetrain unaltered, it's 2 electric engines combined to make HP kW which is more than enough for normal driving, and they could have bumped up the generator to say a 2.

I believe that the upcoming RAV4 Prime will outsell the Chevy Bolt, and capture that growing market of buyers who are not ready to move to a full BEV, but who want the many advantages of EV driving, just with a gas backup. Tony wrote on December 14, - am Permalink. Why couldn't Chevy make the volt with an increasingly smaller combustion engine? In cold weather, miles fly off my volt or any electric vehicle like hot cakes, so I have to "prime" my volt's electric motor on cold mornings for miles to make the electric motor work effectively.

I think a high rpm, gas generator would be more efficient in the voltec concept. Further, most hybrids can disconnect the electric mode when drained, whereas, the volt is constantly trying to recharge the electric motor which is extremely inefficient. A small high powered, high rpm gas generator would work well in cold climates. How can someone in Minnesota or Norway possibly own an e vehicle with a quirky temperature sensitive e engine which really only works efficiently in 55 plus Fahrenheit weather?

Ivan Tuma wrote on October 4, - pm Permalink. When running in hold or mountain mode, at 70mph, the ICE engine actually couples with the transmission to provide some direct-drive assist as this is more efficient than using EV power alone but doesn't change performance much. I'll concede, the worst part is, starting the Volt in freezing weather without having access to a charger. The battery draw is huge, trying to warm up the batteries and warming up the cabin.

I'm fortunate that, although my office doesn't have charging stations, I am on top of a big 3 mile-long hill.

So coming down with a cold Volt, I use the heated seats, while regenerative braking is actually diverted into the heater core to warm everything up faster - but most people don't have that advantage. Spector wrote on December 14, - am Permalink. I agree that the Volt was costly to manufacture. Also re charging I live in Chicago and our public charging infrastructure is abysmal. The for profit public stations are usually so costly that gasoline is cheaper and free chargers are almost non existent anymore.

There were more years ago, now almost none. Plus unless you live in a house or apartment with a private garage good luck charging. My high rise condo is run by assholes and they stopped me charging my Volt on v in the garage after about 6 months of allowing me to do so. If I had a Bolt I'd be totally out of luck. At least with gasoline I can still drive my volt which I love. It still gets me over 30 mpg city on gasoline.

Charles Jack wrote on December 14, - am Permalink. This author speaketh the truth. GM has some pretty smart cookies on the payroll as evidenced by their brilliant Volt creation. In biz, if you can't make money, you die. This Volt owner is an ageing retiree who's transport needs are primarily grocery gettin' and doctor trips; perfect for me. Terry wrote on December 14, - am Permalink. We have a12 Volt and we use for short trips and we have seen EMM lately.

We purchased a model 3 in June and have miles on it. That is a lot of gas miles on the Volt if used.