2011 Chevrolet Volt History

The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in series hybrid vehicle to be produced by General Motors, expected to be launched as a 2011 model with integration vehicles to be built starting on June 1, 2009. Sales are scheduled to begin in November 2010. The Volt’s propulsion system will be based on GM’s new Voltec (formerly known as E-Flex) platform.

Unlike current commercially available hybrids, the actual propulsion of the Volt is accomplished by the electric motor, as the internal combustion engine (ICE) is not mechanically connected to the wheels. With fully charged batteries, this electric power may be sourced exclusively from its onboard lithium-ion batteries, for up to 40 miles (64 km), a distance capable of satisfying the daily commute of 75% of Americans, which averages around 33 miles (53 km).After 40 miles (64 km), a small 4-cylinder internal combustion engine drives a 53 kW generator to provide a longer range.

The electrical power from the generator is sent to either the electric motor or the batteries, depending on the state of charge (SOC) of the battery pack and the power demanded at the wheels. The distribution is controlled by the electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle. This effectively extends the Volt’s potential range to as much as 640 miles (1,030 km) on a single tank of fuel (which could be potentially extended for longer trips through conventional refueling).

The Volt’s 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack can also be fully charged (technically ~85% SOC) by plugging the car into a 120-240VAC residential electrical outlet using the provided SAE J1772 compliant charging cord. No external charging station will be required.

Since the current Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) definition of a hybrid vehicle states the vehicle shall have “two or more energy storage systems both of which must provide propulsion power, either together or independently”, the company has avoided the use of the term “hybrid” when describing its non-conforming Voltec designs. Instead GM has described the Volt as an electric vehicle equipped with a “range extending” gasoline powered internal combustion engine (ICE) as a genset and therefore dubbed an “Extended Range Electric Vehicle”[16] or EREV.However, the combination of an internal combustion engine and electric motors in such a configuration is most often referred to as a series hybrid