With the gasoline shortage and the serious pollution problem, the electric car will be our future trend. This time I want to introduce to you the green trend from Chevrolet Volt 2011. In 2007, Chevrolet had resented their concept car Chevrolet Volt in the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It was a big hit and Chevrolet had promised to launch this futurist electric car in 2011 and scheduled the production in late 2010. Tony Posawatz, the Vehicle Line Director from GM said they have over 200 engineers and 50 designers working on the Volt alone, and another 400 are working on related subsystems and electric
components. That’s how serious they are on the electric vehicle market in the future.

Chevrolet Volt is a revolutionary plug-in electric car that contains a 40 mile zero-emission range on all-electric operation. This 40 mile electric capability fits the needs of many commutes and nearly all errand-running missions. After the advanced 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack is depleted, 300 more miles can be added to the Volt’s total driving ranger while the Volt uses a small internal combustion engine-generation as a range extender. The internal combustion engine, which is Flex Fuel capable and can run on gasoline, E85 ethanol, or any combination of the two fuels, doesn’t power the wheels directly, but rather provides electric power as a generator. All propulsion drive is through the electric drive motor.

Also, GM showed the latest figures peg the Volt’s 0-60 mph performance time in the 8-9 second range, with a top speed of 100 mph. 111k W of power deliver by the electric drive unit can translates to 150 horsepower, with an impressive 370 lbs-ft of torque.

Also, the electric motors can deliver maximum torque from 0 rpm. Charging the 220 lithium-ion cells housed in the Volt’s ‘T’ shaped battery pack will take eight hours from a 120 volt outlet when fully  depleted, and as little as three hours if charged from a 240 volt outlet. Based on a projected cost of 10 cents per kWh, the Volt will cost about 80 cents per day to fully charge. That equates to an energy cost of just 2 cents per mile under electric power. Factoring gasoline costs at a low $3.60 per gallon, GM estimates the when the internal combustion engine-generator is running, per-mile cost is still an economical 12 cents per mile. To put the electric energy consumption in perspective, GM says a daily charge will use less electricity annually than the average home refrigerator.

The Chevrolet Volt 2011 has four passenger seats, sedan style with four door, and has the long center battery tunnel so it eliminate the fifth passenger seat. The Volt’s interior is both sporty and futuristic, with a driver-configurable liquid crystal instrument display and a seven-inch touch screen information display as standard equipment. Bluetooth phone and music streaming will also be standard equipment, consumers can also add optional GPS navigation system and hard drive storage for maps and digital music.

Before I go, I want to share some information I found on the Greencar.com. Todd Kaho had written 10 facts about Chevy Volt Electric and here they are:

10 FACTS You Want to Know about Chevrolet Volt

1. The Volt is Not a Traditional Hybrid

While the Chevy Volt has both an electric powertrain and a gasoline engine, it is not a gas-electric hybrid in the traditional sense. The Volt is a plug-in electric vehicle (EV) propelled only by a powerful electric motor. The small gasoline engine works strictly as a range-extending generator to recharge batteries and provide current to the electric motor.

2. E-Flex Architecture Offers Other Engine Options

The initial rollout of the Volt will feature a gasoline engine as the range extending source, but the “Flex” in its ‘E-Flex’ architecture means other power train options are built into the design. A small clean diesel, for example, makes sense for many world markets as illustrated by the Opel Flextreme concept car. GM took the Volt concept in a cleaner direction yet with a fuel cell-charged variant unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show.

3. Many Commuters Can Run Gas-Free

In the current configuration; a full charge from household current will provide a maximum EV range of 40 miles. So, if your commute is shorter than that the gasoline engine may not need to run at all.  Charging outlets at the workplace can double that one-way range, too, which means that the Volt’s effective electric-only range may be up to 80 miles per day for commuters, 40 miles each way. The Volt will be ideal for around-town errands and shorter trips where battery electric drive allows zero emissions operation.

4. Lithium-Ion Battery is Key to Performance

The Volt’s lithium-ion battery pack is a “T” shaped structure designed to evenly distribute weight down the center tunnel of the car and over the rear wheels. Two versions are being developed with strategic suppliers: A123 Systems is working on a Nan phosphate design with cylindrical cells and Compact Power
has a manganese oxide stacked wafer Li-ion battery in development. Both configurations show great promise in power, range, and lifecycle testing. GM is leaving the door open for battery technology breakthroughs during the development process and other battery types could be considered.

5. Volt Has a 400 Mile Total Range

After battery power is depleted, the Volt should offer another 360 miles of range with the gasoline engine/generator providing the juice, for a total of 400 miles. The range extender design makes the Volt much more versatile than a pure electric car because there’s no wait to recharge batteries if you have
places to go. The small six or so gallon gasoline tank can be refilled in a matter of minutes for extended travel.

6. Your Mileage Will Vary

As a plug-in, fuel economy will depend on how long the gasoline range extender engine is operating to provide electricity. In the worst case, when the battery is down to 30 percent charge and the gasoline engine needs to run for extended periods, the Volt should offer 50 mpg or better. If your trip starts with a full charge and is shorter, say 60 miles before plugging back in, then it will involve 40 miles of electric operation and 20 miles with the gasoline engine running. In this case overall fuel economy will be in the
neighborhood of 150 mpg.

7. Volt Test Mules Running Around the Clock

GM is testing the Volt power train in specially prepared Chevy Malibu test mules. Work is progressing in double-time, with the mules running 18-20 hour double engineering shifts to speed development. Early
work was done with nickel-metal-hydride batteries as proof of concept. Those NiMH packs have now been replaced with the latest Li-ion batteries as testing rolls on.

8. The Shape of Change

The actual production Volt will not be identical to the concept car, but it will be recognizable as the Volt. This car has undergone more wind tunnel testing that any product in the history of General Motors and
perhaps any car ever. Small changes to the surface are delivering significant gains in lowering the overall aerodynamic drag, which accounts for 20 percent of the energy needed to move the car at speed. The current design is roughly 30 percent cleaner than the concept.

9. What Will it Cost?

From the outset, the goal has been to deliver the Volt for less than $30,000. Some estimates place the early production versions closer to $40,000, with costs coming down as production ramps up. If the design goals are met, GM won’t have a problem finding customers for the Volt and future E-Flex variations.

10. Volt Deadline is November 2010

GM officials have not backed off the promised introduction deadline of November 2010 that was announced at the LA Auto Show. To meet that deadline, GM has made Volt development a top priority with considerable resources brought to bear. The Volt has energized General Motors internally and will help the company forge ahead through the tough and competitive times in store for the auto industry.