Comments on: FACT: Chevy Volt’s Generator to Start When Battery Power Drops to 50% http://gm-volt.com/2007/08/17/fact-chevy-volts-generator-to-start-when-battery-power-drops-to-50/ Real-time news, information, and discussion about the Chevrolet Volt. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 07:41:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Jeremy Wilson http://gm-volt.com/2007/08/17/fact-chevy-volts-generator-to-start-when-battery-power-drops-to-50/#comment-15510 Jeremy Wilson Tue, 20 Nov 2007 03:36:44 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2007/08/17/fact-chevy-volts-generator-to-start-when-battery-power-drops-to-50/#comment-15510 OFF TOPIC MALIBU FAKE HYBRID COMMENT: GM LOST 39 BILLION LAST QUARTER AND THEY DEPRESS ME WITH THIS HOAX HYBRID MALIBU THAT ONLY CUTS OFF THE ICE AT A STOPLIGHT TO CONSERVE FUEL AND THE BATTERIES ARE USED TO RESTART THE ICE QUICKLY AFTER YOU APPLY THE THROTTLE. GM ALSO LOVES THEIR CUSTOMERS SO MUCH THEY REFUSE TO POST A EMAIL ADDRESS FOR COMMENTS LIKE THIS. GM IS TRYING HARD TO BANKRUPT AND GET A GOVERMENT BAILOUT IT SEEMS IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. ALSO DID YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THE SAUDI'S HAVE BOUGHT OUT GENERAL ELECTRIC PLASTICS DIVISION WITH IT'S HUGE PROFITS THEY ARE GETTING FROM US ON GASOLINE SALES. I SAY, SAY NO TO GM UNTIL THEY SELL A REAL CAR WITH A REAL FUTURE FOR US AMERICANS BEFORE THE SAUDI'S OWN ALL OUR AMERICAN COMPANIES. OFF TOPIC MALIBU FAKE HYBRID COMMENT: GM LOST 39 BILLION LAST QUARTER AND THEY DEPRESS ME WITH THIS HOAX HYBRID MALIBU THAT ONLY CUTS OFF THE ICE AT A STOPLIGHT TO CONSERVE FUEL AND THE BATTERIES ARE USED TO RESTART THE ICE QUICKLY AFTER YOU APPLY THE THROTTLE. GM ALSO LOVES THEIR CUSTOMERS SO MUCH THEY REFUSE TO POST A EMAIL ADDRESS FOR COMMENTS LIKE THIS. GM IS TRYING HARD TO BANKRUPT AND GET A GOVERMENT BAILOUT IT SEEMS IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. ALSO DID YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THE SAUDI’S HAVE BOUGHT OUT GENERAL ELECTRIC PLASTICS DIVISION WITH IT’S HUGE PROFITS THEY ARE GETTING FROM US ON GASOLINE SALES. I SAY, SAY NO TO GM UNTIL THEY SELL A REAL CAR WITH A REAL FUTURE FOR US AMERICANS BEFORE THE SAUDI’S OWN ALL OUR AMERICAN COMPANIES.

]]> By: L Hayes http://gm-volt.com/2007/08/17/fact-chevy-volts-generator-to-start-when-battery-power-drops-to-50/#comment-13429 L Hayes Mon, 05 Nov 2007 23:23:48 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2007/08/17/fact-chevy-volts-generator-to-start-when-battery-power-drops-to-50/#comment-13429 Nobody seems to be mentioning the fact that these packs by law must meet very high warranty standards, namely 10-years/150,000 miles, at least in CA and a half dozen other green states here in the Northeast. It's therefore essential the packs be babied, and a 50% DOD is plenty IMO. The Panasonic EV NIMH packs used in the Prius vacillate between 60-80% capacity, that's IT, a pretty narrow window but it works, and Toyota has had close to zero problems with their packs, even on the oldest cars. Separately, it is just as important not to recharge much above the 80% level as you must allow "room" for the regenerative power to go should the car encounter a long downhill and a lot of braking. It will be interesting to see the limits GM sets on its packs on the upper end given this is a serial hybrid and very different from the Prius. Nobody seems to be mentioning the fact that these packs by law must meet very high warranty standards, namely 10-years/150,000 miles, at least in CA and a half dozen other green states here in the Northeast. It’s therefore essential the packs be babied, and a 50% DOD is plenty IMO.

The Panasonic EV NIMH packs used in the Prius vacillate between 60-80% capacity, that’s IT, a pretty narrow window but it works, and Toyota has had close to zero problems with their packs, even on the oldest cars.

Separately, it is just as important not to recharge much above the 80% level as you must allow “room” for the regenerative power to go should the car encounter a long downhill and a lot of braking. It will be interesting to see the limits GM sets on its packs on the upper end given this is a serial hybrid and very different from the Prius.

]]> By: CM http://gm-volt.com/2007/08/17/fact-chevy-volts-generator-to-start-when-battery-power-drops-to-50/#comment-5344 CM Tue, 28 Aug 2007 03:43:15 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2007/08/17/fact-chevy-volts-generator-to-start-when-battery-power-drops-to-50/#comment-5344 ug Says: "Here is how you beat the lack of a kill switch with no hacking required. Just don’t put any gas in it, period. Do you think they are going to make the car stall at 50% battery capacity??" No, I'd expect an idiot light to come on and a chime announcing "Out of Gas, please refill at the nearest available station", repeating over and over til you nearly go bonkers. If you ignore that advice, then around about 30% SOC, the car goes quiet and shuts down to protect the battery from excessive discharge. Then your choices are: get a tow, get a charge (if power is available) or get some gas and restart the car. But why pack around an engine and tank if you never plan to use it? There will be regular battery electric cars available, GM might even decide to offer a "battey only" version of the Volt. ug Says: “Here is how you beat the lack of a kill switch with no hacking required. Just don’t put any gas in it, period. Do you think they are going to make the car stall at 50% battery capacity??”

No, I’d expect an idiot light to come on and a chime announcing “Out of Gas, please refill at the nearest available station”, repeating over and over til you nearly go bonkers. If you ignore that advice, then around about 30% SOC, the car goes quiet and shuts down to protect the battery from excessive discharge. Then your choices are: get a tow, get a charge (if power is available) or get some gas and restart the car.

But why pack around an engine and tank if you never plan to use it? There will be regular battery electric cars available, GM might even decide to offer a “battey only” version of the Volt.

]]> By: Ron Erickson http://gm-volt.com/2007/08/17/fact-chevy-volts-generator-to-start-when-battery-power-drops-to-50/#comment-4890 Ron Erickson Thu, 23 Aug 2007 23:29:11 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2007/08/17/fact-chevy-volts-generator-to-start-when-battery-power-drops-to-50/#comment-4890 Matt, no matter what the recharge min and max are, if a computer were to manage the recharge cycle based upon the miles to go to a full plug in recharge, you could always arrive home with a charge level that would allow maximum use of the 110v plug. Matt, no matter what the recharge min and max are, if a computer were to manage the recharge cycle based upon the miles to go to a full plug in recharge, you could always arrive home with a charge level that would allow maximum use of the 110v plug.

]]> By: Matt986 http://gm-volt.com/2007/08/17/fact-chevy-volts-generator-to-start-when-battery-power-drops-to-50/#comment-4860 Matt986 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:23:59 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2007/08/17/fact-chevy-volts-generator-to-start-when-battery-power-drops-to-50/#comment-4860 Well, you guys gotta realize that with the stated range of battery 'discharge' at 50%, it doesn't mean the battery will get charged to full (100%) and then only discharge to half full (50%). It will likely do what hybrids do with their batteries: Charge to about 80% of the 'full' capacity, and only discharge to about 30% of the 'full' capacity. That's 50% of the total capacity of the battery. So if you're looking at the range of the battery compared to 100% full, the battery would start out 'charged' at about 80%, then you'd drive. At about 40 miles, the battery would be at about 30% of 'full', and the generator would kick in and run until the battery is 'charged' at 80% of 'full'. Keeping the battery from going to 100% charge and 0% (completely depleted) allows for a longer service life for the cells. So don't confuse the 50% to mean that the battery will only charge to 50% total capacity, or that it will charge to 100%, and then only discharge to 50%. We haven't seen specific numbers yet, but I can bet that the '50%' usage will be between completely discharged, and completely charged. Ya follow? ;) Well, you guys gotta realize that with the stated range of battery ‘discharge’ at 50%, it doesn’t mean the battery will get charged to full (100%) and then only discharge to half full (50%).

It will likely do what hybrids do with their batteries: Charge to about 80% of the ‘full’ capacity, and only discharge to about 30% of the ‘full’ capacity. That’s 50% of the total capacity of the battery.

So if you’re looking at the range of the battery compared to 100% full, the battery would start out ‘charged’ at about 80%, then you’d drive. At about 40 miles, the battery would be at about 30% of ‘full’, and the generator would kick in and run until the battery is ‘charged’ at 80% of ‘full’.

Keeping the battery from going to 100% charge and 0% (completely depleted) allows for a longer service life for the cells.

So don’t confuse the 50% to mean that the battery will only charge to 50% total capacity, or that it will charge to 100%, and then only discharge to 50%.

We haven’t seen specific numbers yet, but I can bet that the ‘50%’ usage will be between completely discharged, and completely charged.

Ya follow? ;)

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