We have long heard that GM is targeting a 40 mile electric only range and a 300 mile gasoline
range for the Chevrolet Volt.
Engineers have repeatedly said the Volt is meeting range expectations and have explained that the 40 miles can be achieved both on the city and highway cycles, which is fairly non aggressive, and doesn’t take into account significant electric accessory draws.
According to GM vice chairman Bob Lutz, the Volt’s electric range will vary considerably in the real world. He noted that some customers could become unpleasantly surprised and even “perplexed” at how drastic the range will be reduced under some driving conditions.
Though GM has in place special provisions to allow the car to be maximally consistent in range delivery, physics are physics, and 8 kwh is 8 kwh.
Lutz told a reporter from the Dow Jones that he drove the Volt for a weekend recently during the cold Detroit winter, and found he got only 28 miles of electric range.
Of course, with the Volt this will be far less important then in pure EVs, as the range extender will always be there to kick in and keep drivers going.Pure Electric Volt
On the flipside, Lutz also told reporters at the Auto Show that GM is planning to build a pure electric version of the Volt too. This will be for that segment of people who want it and to compete against such vehicles as the Nissan Leaf.
For as long as the Volt concept has been in existence a certain contingency of people have expressed interest in such a vehicle as many comments on this site over the years can attest.
Lutz wouldn’t say when such a car would hit showrooms, but noted the process for building it would be “technologically trivial,” and just a matter of removing the range extender and expanding the battery pack.
“Once you’ve done the Volt, pure electric is trivial. You just leave some parts out,” Lutz said.
range for the Chevrolet Volt.
Engineers have repeatedly said the Volt is meeting range expectations and have explained that the 40 miles can be achieved both on the city and highway cycles, which is fairly non aggressive, and doesn’t take into account significant electric accessory draws.
According to GM vice chairman Bob Lutz, the Volt’s electric range will vary considerably in the real world. He noted that some customers could become unpleasantly surprised and even “perplexed” at how drastic the range will be reduced under some driving conditions.
Though GM has in place special provisions to allow the car to be maximally consistent in range delivery, physics are physics, and 8 kwh is 8 kwh.
Lutz told a reporter from the Dow Jones that he drove the Volt for a weekend recently during the cold Detroit winter, and found he got only 28 miles of electric range.
Of course, with the Volt this will be far less important then in pure EVs, as the range extender will always be there to kick in and keep drivers going.Pure Electric Volt
On the flipside, Lutz also told reporters at the Auto Show that GM is planning to build a pure electric version of the Volt too. This will be for that segment of people who want it and to compete against such vehicles as the Nissan Leaf.
For as long as the Volt concept has been in existence a certain contingency of people have expressed interest in such a vehicle as many comments on this site over the years can attest.
Lutz wouldn’t say when such a car would hit showrooms, but noted the process for building it would be “technologically trivial,” and just a matter of removing the range extender and expanding the battery pack.
“Once you’ve done the Volt, pure electric is trivial. You just leave some parts out,” Lutz said.
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