Transcript Chevy Volt - Oregon State University

Chevy Volt
Volt Overview
Extended-Range Electric Vehicle
 Available for mass purchase in 2010 as a
2011 model year
 Designed to meet the needs of 75% of
America's daily commuters
 Advanced lithium-ion battery pack means
no gasoline and zero emissions for up to
40 miles
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400 miles on 6 or 7 gallons of gas
 Charges in 6.5 hours
 No external charging station required
 4 seats
 $30,000 although the first models might
be more expensive ($40,000)
 0 to 60 in 8.5 seconds
 a top speed of at least 100 mph
 Regenerative braking
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E-REV (Extended-Range Electric
Vehicle)
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a plug-in range-extended electric vehicle with
an on-board gasoline generator.
large battery charged from home electric outlet
and connected to an electric motor.
electric motor directly propels the car
battery lasts for the first 40 miles, then the onboard gasoline/E85 generator will power up
Recharges battery which continues to directly
propel car
Isn’t this a hybrid?
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Most hybrids today are parallel hybrids
◦ small electric motor for low speed driving
◦ regular gas engine for acceleration and faster speed
driving
◦ both engines work side by side or in parallel
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The Volt is a series vehicle
◦ the electric motor powers the car at all times
◦ the gas engine is just a generator, making electric to
keep the batteries in a steady state of charge.
E-Flex Drive System
http://movementbureau.blogs.com/projects/2007/01/the_chevrolet_v.html
E-Flex Drive System
161-horsepower 45KW (100 KW peak)
compact AC electric motor
 16kW 220-cell lithium ion battery pack
 1.0L turbocharged three cylinder
international combustion engine
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◦ flex-fuel capable
◦ The 53 kW engine combined with the 53 kW
generator can maintain and charge the
battery pack.
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12 gallon fuel tank
Battery
Technology is still in the works
 220-cell 345 lb. lithium ion battery pack
 GM is
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evaluating products from a A123
working with Continental
working with CPI
working with LG Chem
Fuel Efficiency
A bit complicated, the EPA doesn’t know
what to do
 When the battery has been discharged to
its lower limit set-point, the gas engine
kicks in to recharge the battery (at
approx. 40 miles)
 The gas engine is rated at 55 mpg
 When the battery is recharged to an
upper limit set-point the gas engine turns
off again
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To calculate the fuel efficiency for drives
longer than 40 miles use the following
formula: Total MPG = 55*M/(M-40)
 Volt has a potential range of 640 miles on
a single tank of fuel
 Range can be increased by refueling
without the need to recharge
 0.65 cents per kW = $0.85 to recharge
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Emissions
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Zero emissions for trips under 40 miles
Above 40 miles emissions will be similar to other 4-cyl low
displacement gasoline powered automobile.
General Motors apparently claims that operating the Volt for
a year, results in the reduction of about 4.4 tonnes
(4.3 LT/4.9 ST) in CO2 emissions as compared to a typical
U.S. car
Battery charging emissions
American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE)
◦ a typical plug-in hybrid electric vehicle is expected to achieve
about a 15% reduction in net CO2 emissions compared to the
driver of a regular hybrid,
◦ in areas where less than 80% of grid-power comes from coalburning power plants, local net CO2 emissions will decrease
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Potential for charge with green energy sources
Concerns about the Volt
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Battery
◦ “Industry sources tell us the claims about the
Volt’s batteries are wildly optimistic when
weight, cost, capacity, and longevity are
considered.”
◦ Battery supplier still not decided
◦ Technology is still too-expensive, $10,000 vs.
$5,000
◦ With anticipated release date of 2010, this
technology should be solidified
◦ Safety? Toyota was saying that safety was a big
issue with the volt, but are now embracing
similar technology.
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Cost
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$30,000 not realistic
Even at $50,000 GM wouldn’t see much profit
Government incentives a big wildcard
Gas at or near $3.60 per gallon= $1500 of
savings annually.
◦ Volt costs extra $20,000 compared with
conventional compacts.
◦ Recouping the investment likely to take 10
years, which point the battery must be
replaced
The Future of GM
Viability Plan presented to congress
TODAY
 New administration in favor of green
energy and green jobs
 ???
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Bibliography
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http://www.gm-volt.com/
http://www.chevrolet.com/electriccar/
http://movementbureau.blogs.com/projects/2007/01/chevrolet_volt.
html
http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.e
merald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=3&d
ocid=31656
http://www.aceee.org/store/proddetail.cfm?CFID=1941952&CFTO
KEN=35186425&ItemID=418&CategoryID=7
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/01/07/detroit-auto-show-fullspecifications-on-the-chevy-volt/
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/car_shopping/green
_machines/running_on_empty_is_the_2011_chevrolet_volt_hype_
or_hope_car_news+t-technology:_%E2%80%9Cerev,%E2%80%9D_not_%E2%80%9Cplug-in%E2%80%9D+page2.html