Battery and drivetrain improvements could make
next Volt cruise further and more efficiently than ever
next Volt cruise further and more efficiently than ever
By Glen Woodcock, Autonet - A new Chevy Volt is coming for 2016 which will incorporate improvements dictated by the car's nearly 70,000 owners since 2010.
The all-new version of Chevrolet's extended range electric vehicle will make its debut in January at Detroit's North American International Auto Show. It is expected to be on sale by the second half of next year.
In a press conference in Warren, Mich. last week, General Motors revealed details of the new Voltec propulsion system which includes improvements to the battery, drive unit and range-extending gasoline engine. The new Voltec system will be more efficient and offer greater EV range and fuel economy compared to the current generation.
Owners say they want more than the 70-km range from the existing Volt's electric drive. So GM is working on improving that, but says we'll have to wait till the Detroit show to find out by how much.
For operating in extended range gasoline mode, the 2016 Volt is getting an all-new, high-efficiency 1.5L 4-cylinder engine. It features a direct injection fuel system that burns regular gas, a 12.5:1 compression ratio, cooled exhaust gas recirculation and a variable displacement oil pump.
GM says the new car will have 20% greater acceleration at low speeds, partially due to technology that will enable both electric motors to drive the front wheels, rather than just one of them.
Revisions to the battery pack will mean fewer cells, but more storage capacity and lighter weight.
"The current generation Volt's battery has proven to provide our owners exceptional performance when it comes to quality and reliability," said Larry Nitz, executive director of GM Powertrain's electrification engineering team.
"It would have been simple for us to tweak our existing battery to provide nominally increased range, but that's not what our customers want," said Nitz. "So our team created a new battery system that will exceed the performance expectations of most of our owners."
Nitz also said the 2016 Volt, built in Michigan, will feature approximately 70% U.S. and Canadian components within its first year of production, a nearly 20% increase from the first-generation. The new 1.5L engine will be manufactured at GM's Toluca, Mexico engine plant for the first year of production, then shift to the Flint, Mich. engine plant.
The all-new version of Chevrolet's extended range electric vehicle will make its debut in January at Detroit's North American International Auto Show. It is expected to be on sale by the second half of next year.
In a press conference in Warren, Mich. last week, General Motors revealed details of the new Voltec propulsion system which includes improvements to the battery, drive unit and range-extending gasoline engine. The new Voltec system will be more efficient and offer greater EV range and fuel economy compared to the current generation.
Owners say they want more than the 70-km range from the existing Volt's electric drive. So GM is working on improving that, but says we'll have to wait till the Detroit show to find out by how much.
For operating in extended range gasoline mode, the 2016 Volt is getting an all-new, high-efficiency 1.5L 4-cylinder engine. It features a direct injection fuel system that burns regular gas, a 12.5:1 compression ratio, cooled exhaust gas recirculation and a variable displacement oil pump.
GM says the new car will have 20% greater acceleration at low speeds, partially due to technology that will enable both electric motors to drive the front wheels, rather than just one of them.
Revisions to the battery pack will mean fewer cells, but more storage capacity and lighter weight.
"The current generation Volt's battery has proven to provide our owners exceptional performance when it comes to quality and reliability," said Larry Nitz, executive director of GM Powertrain's electrification engineering team.
"It would have been simple for us to tweak our existing battery to provide nominally increased range, but that's not what our customers want," said Nitz. "So our team created a new battery system that will exceed the performance expectations of most of our owners."
Nitz also said the 2016 Volt, built in Michigan, will feature approximately 70% U.S. and Canadian components within its first year of production, a nearly 20% increase from the first-generation. The new 1.5L engine will be manufactured at GM's Toluca, Mexico engine plant for the first year of production, then shift to the Flint, Mich. engine plant.
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