Believe Me, Volt is a truly amazing EV

[a_Username]

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technol...836/story.html

Never mind that its exterior isn't as avant-garde as the underlying technology deserves.

Never mind that a few interior trim bits -- notably the plastic on the inside of the rear doors -- are not up to snuff in car that will cost as much as a BMW 3 Series (General Motors Canada has yet to price the Volt, but it costs $41,000 U.S. south of the border).

And pay no mind to the nascent scandal that sees Edmunds.com proclaim "GM Lied: Chevy Volt Is Not a True EV."

Essentially, the entire kerfuffle comes down to this: In very specific circumstances -- cruising at 110-plus kilometres an hour after its battery has run down -- the Volt's onboard 1.4-litre range-extending engine can directly drive a generator that does drive the wheels. So, yes, to the absolutist, the Volt is not a pure EV. It matters not a whit.

What matters is the following: Despite my repeated attempts to be as profligate as possible -- full-throttle acceleration from stoplights, air conditioning going full blast and even unnecessarily turning on the seat warmers -- the Volt I tested eked out 42.1 miles (67.8 km) in pure electric mode.

That's more than the 40 miles (64.4 km) General Motors has been promising since the car's inception, more than the rumoured 48 km of electrical range some naysayers have been spreading over the Internet and, most importantly, more than most North Americans typically drive in their daily commute. This means the Chevrolet Volt -- like a true EV -- will consume no gasoline during regular use.

What sets the Volt apart from its EV competition -- the Nissan Leaf, BMW's Mini E and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV -- is that, once its main battery depletes its supply of excitable electrons, the Chevrolet doesn't become a proverbial boat anchor and require eight hours of recharging before continuing on its way.

For those needing a refresher on Volt technology, once the 16 kilowatt-hours of lithium-ion battery power are depleted, the onboard 1.4L Ecotec gas engine fires up and, as GM's engineers are even more adamantly pointing out, powers a generator that feeds a big 111-kW traction motor without ever being connected directly or indirectly to the wheels -- with the specific exception noted above.

The Volt certainly feels, drives and responds like a true electric vehicle.

For instance, the electric motor is all but silent. There's no gear whine, no buzzing and, naturally, no exhaust roar. And, contrary to expectations, there is no real acclimatization process needed. Within minutes, the Volt's silence turns from eerie to normal and, perhaps even more surprisingly, welcome.

Indeed, one of the reasons why the Volt requires so little acclimatization is that it feels so normal. Despite being tied into the electric propulsion system, the brakes feel completely conventional, with none of the lurching common to the regenerative braking systems found in all hybrids and EVs.

That competent comportment is backed up by more than adequate acceleration.

The traction motor's 111 kW translates into 149 horsepower, which, in and of itself would provide decent if not scintillating performance. But as electric vehicle proponents eagerly point out, an electric motor's advantage is its prodigious low-end torque. In the Volt's case, 273 pound-feet is available from zero r.p.m. The result is an acceleration time to 100 kilometres an hour in less than nine seconds. Again, this isn't scintillating by Ferrari or Corvette standards, but it is perfectly in line with acceleration times of the conventional family sedans the Volt hopes to supplant.

If you're looking for a comparison for the Volt's performance, think Chevy Malibu V6. Ditto the handling, which, despite the Volt weighing in at a fairly hefty 1,715 kilograms (the batteries alone account for about 200 kg), feels light and responsive, if not outright sporty.

The most impressive aspect of the Volt's comportment is neither its power nor its handling but rather the sheer sophistication of its entire drivetrain. This is a complicated automobile, possessing no less than three clutches, a set of planetary gears, two electric motors (one doubling as a generator), a gasoline engine, a huge battery pack and enough computers and electrical subsystems to control a space shuttle.

Yet they all work together in a seamless syncopation that is the envy of any other electric car I have tested. The most impressive thing about the Volt is that, when the main battery is finally depleted, it is almost impossible to tell when the gasoline engine has fired up to start producing electricity. There's absolutely no lurching from the drivetrain and, unless you're cruising at some seriously supra-legal speeds, even the gasoline engine is eerily silent.

I know, because when the battery charge meter started indicating imminent gas engine startup, I eliminated all other sources of noise. I turned off the stereo and air conditioning system and even shushed the other occupants in the car -- and I still couldn't hear that little Ecotec internally combusting.

Need further proof of the Volt's bona fides? After the main battery ran out of errant electrons at the 67.8-km mark, I needed to travel an additional eight kilometres to reach our final destination, a total -- that I only add for emphasis -- of 75.8 km.

So, regardless of purity of design or the semantics of whether it's an EV, an extended-range electric vehicle or even a glorified hybrid -- as the headline-seeking Edmunds.com contends -- the Volt is an amazing accomplishment and by far the most practical and accomplished alternative to the conventional automobile yet.

Yet again, GM is the leader of electric vehicles.

VOLT > LEAF

[DGthe3]

The Volt is amazing, no argument from me. But its not an electric vehicle. The gas engine sorta voids that claim. Its a hybrid.

Volt > Prius

*edit*
and

Volt > EV's

[King Sun]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

The Volt is amazing, no argument from me. But its not an electric vehicle. The gas engine sorta voids that claim. Its a hybrid.

Volt > Prius

exactly

[Russell James]

Trying to define something new into older classifications is just going to result in semantics arguments.

How about going with what the manufacturer is calling it - an Extended Range Electric Vehicle. And what gives you the extended range - a gas engine.

The debates are entertaining, but pointless. It's new, doesn't fit the exact criteria of past vehicle types, so they started a new one.

Those that don't think it's an electric vehicle, have never driven it. A neighbor of mine is a GM engineer and has been bringing one home for about a month and has let me drive it. When driving this car, there is no doubt you are driving an electric vehicle.

If someone has a tizzy because it also has a gas engine, they are missing the whole point of the huge advantage of Extended Range. I'd love to see someone drive one, and get out and say - yup I was right that is not an electric vehicle.

This Ottowa journalist summed it up perfectly. And it looks like from an actual drive, instead of internet semantics debates.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by Russell James

Trying to define something new into older classifications is just going to result in semantics arguments.

How about going with what the manufacturer is calling it - an Extended Range Electric Vehicle. And what gives you the extended range - a gas engine.

The debates are entertaining, but pointless. It's new, doesn't fit the exact criteria of past vehicle types, so they started a new one.

Those that don't think it's an electric vehicle, have never driven it. A neighbor of mine is a GM engineer and has been bringing one home for about a month and has let me drive it. When driving this car, there is no doubt you are driving an electric vehicle.

If someone has a tizzy because it also has a gas engine, they are missing the whole point of the huge advantage of Extended Range. I'd love to see someone drive one, and get out and say - yup I was right that is not an electric vehicle.

This Ottowa journalist summed it up perfectly. And it looks like from an actual drive, instead of internet semantics debates.

I'd love to drive one. But how a vehicle drives has nothing to do with its classification. Nor does how you use it. What a car is is determined by its design and engineering. Definitions like EV and hybrid are fairly concrete. Its not as if we're debating muscle car vs sports car. Electric cars are electricity only. Hybrids use 2 power sources, typically gas+electric. The Volt is obviously designed as a hybrid by virtue of its range extending gas engine. That said, its an excellent hybrid. Its a better car than any electric vehicle because its a hybrid. Calling it an EV diminishes what it is.

[Russell James]

I agree, and here is the government's classification for an EV:

Government's definition of an Electric Drive Vehicle:

• The vehicle must be made by a manufacturer (i.e., it doesn't include conventional vehicles converted to electric drive).
• It must be treated as a motor vehicle for purposes of title II of the Clean Air Act.
• It must have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of not more than 14,000 lbs.
• It must be propelled to a significant extent by an electric motor which draws electricity from a battery which
  • has a capacity of not less than 4 kilowatt hours and
  • is capable of being recharged from an external source of electricity.

Meeting that criteria means it is eligible for the $7500 Electric Drive Vehicle federal incentive.


Now, here is how the Government defines a hybrid:

Hybrid vehicles have drive trains powered by both internal combustion engine and a rechargeable battery.

It could be argued that it fits both Government definitions. But, the government only allows one energy efficient vehicle incentive, so your vehicle get's classified in the highest incentive category it qualifies for.

So, Uncle Sam calls the Volt..... an Electric Drive Vehicle.

[toesuf94]

It is an awesome car. Period. That GM got it done as quickly as it did at the time it did is even more remarkable.

[Steve]

I view this as an entirely electric vehicle because when the gas engine does run it does not propel the car, it runs a generator, which uses electricity to power the electric drive motor. I would much rather have this architecture than no back up for when the last electron drips out.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by Steve

I view this as an entirely electric vehicle because when the gas engine does run it does not propel the car, it runs a generator, which uses electricity to power the electric drive motor. I would much rather have this architecture than no back up for when the last electron drips out.

Then there are also the high load conditions when the battery is dead and the engine assists the electric motor directly

[Captain Awesome]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

The Volt is amazing, no argument from me. But its not an electric vehicle. The gas engine sorta voids that claim. Its a hybrid.

Volt > Prius

*edit*
and

Volt > EV's

I think your have it wrong. The Volt is an EV that can run in "hybrid mode".

When DVD players came out that could also play a CD, we didn't call them "CD Players", we called them "DVD Players". Same thing here. It's an EV that also can do what a hybrid can do.

[20Camaro11]

oooh goodie, a sequel to the Chevy Volt- Hybrid or EV debate.

[derklug]

It is a step forward in car technology, and it will save gas for me to use in my V-8.

[nardox]

Great car? Probably
Do I want it? NO

[a_Username]

Originally Posted by Captain Awesome

I think your have it wrong. The Volt is an EV that can run in "hybrid mode".

When DVD players came out that could also play a CD, we didn't call them "CD Players", we called them "DVD Players". Same thing here. It's an EV that also can do what a hybrid can do.

Perfect analogy. (no sarcasm lol).