The ‘Chevy Volt’ hits the road
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This rather abused-looking 2007 Chevrolet Malibu is the next best hope for General Motors and for the automotive world in general. Because it’s a test mule for all the hardware that will go into the new, electric-powered Chevrolet Volt.
Yes, the Volt has gone from nice idea to working model and GM’s vice chairman, Bob Lutz, has driven 20 miles in this development model -- dubbed the Mali-Volt -- at the company’s proving facility. “The thing that’s eerie is the silence,” says Lutz. “There’s no mechanical noise whatsoever.” Even when Lutz hit speeds of up to 80 mph, the car never once actuated its 1.0-liter, three-cylinder internal combustion engine (on board to generate electricity that is then stored in a pack of lithium-ion batteries).
This type of battery (as found in laptops and cell phones) has so far proved somewhat problematic for such a large-scale application, but Lutz says the Volt’s batteries are “exceeding expectations.” It seems that any problems have been mechanical rather than electro-chemical, so conventional engineering can iron out the wrinkles. The only other significant downside is that they’re still expensive, but as production ramps up, GM expects their cost to drop dramatically.
Lutz describes the powerplant’s acceleration as “great.” He also found the car’s handling to be good because the location of the batteries keeps the car’s center of gravity nice and low. GM predicts that ‘real’ prototypes wearing the actual Volt bodywork will be running around by next spring. Production models should be available just over a year after that. “We’re good for November 2010,” says Lutz.
For the full interview, click onto Green Fuels Forecast’s website.