Sunday, January 7, 2007

Detroit Auto Show: Chevrolet Volt Concept

Yep you guessed it, this is another one of those “I am definitely the future” concepts that we see by the dozens in every major Auto Show. Chevrolet’s Volta concept is a battery-powered 4door-coupe passenger vehicle that uses a gas engine to create additional electricity. The technology behind the Volt concept, GM’s E-flex System, allows electricity to be produced from gasoline, ethanol, bio-diesel or hydrogen.-Continued: Click “Read More…” below

According to GM, the Volt can be fully charged by plugging it into a 110-volt outlet for approximately six hours a day. When the lithium-ion battery is fully charged, the Volt can deliver 40 city miles of pure electric vehicle range. When the battery is depleted, a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine spins at a constant speed, or revolutions per minute (rpm), to create electricity and replenish the battery.

The engine runs on E85 (a fuel blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline). Using E85, fuel economy of 150 mpg would translate into more than 525 miles per petroleum gallon. The Volt can get 50 mpg by using the engine to convert gasoline into electricity and extending its range up to 640 miles.