GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

By Jean-Charles Jacquemin
 

As the readers of GM-Volt.com can easily imagine, I could repeat and confirm what my predecessors have so well written before. So I’ll not comment a lot on the driving fun, the comfort of the ride, the silence, all the technology that make you feel when you reluctantly take your other ICE vehicle that you are returning back in prehistory, the absence of any kind of range anxiety, your contribution to less oil dependence and a better collective health.

The best of it

 
What has been best for me during those last weeks since I drive my Ampera and still is, are mainly the facts that:

- I do best than the Audis and BMWs in the roundabouts and, more generally, in urban traffic, their drivers don’t like it at all …

- I show my students and researchers what a better future mobility could be. To their surprise, I let them drive my Ampera to convince them and they are still speaking about the experience two weeks after,

- I speak about it to my colleagues, friends and interested neighbors and also I let them have a ride and drive it to really feel the difference

- and, the best of it, I may leave my house and come back without my neighbors knowing it.
So life has been very interesting and instructive since I received the keys of my Ampera.

The picture below is my first vision of my Ampera, arriving in my Opel garage driven by the dealer.

Some surprises too

 
First, I’m convinced that all the fuss about the danger of the silent drive for pedestrians with riding at low speed is much ado about nothing. Never, even in crowded streets, had I to brake violently to avoid one, really if you drive with an attention to pedestrians and cyclists, there is no problem at all.

Second, the original charging cord supplied with the car is very sensitive to the type of electric current it receives, I was unable to charge at a friend’s home because the charging cord didn’t find the good tension and … even if the son of the house is electrician and checked all the power outlets which were, on belief of his instruments readings, OK. My charging station works fine at around 14.95 A. I get a better mileage for a full charge with it (68 km) than with the original charging cord at 5A for which I got 62 km for a full charge.

The second picture shows my charging station with its cable, the screen of the station is a subcounter linked to my smartphone to pilot the station and to the internet to archive the history of charging my Ampera. It has also a subcounter for the cost of the charge based on the current electricity rates.

Third, Opel was not very efficient – as I related in some comments in April – when I was waiting to get my Ampera. I must say they made a commercial gesture to compensate for the inconvenience by offering me some accessories like the luggage net, the hard cargo liner for trunk protection, the sun-shade windshield, and the charge cord bag. The last three items are very useful and I recommend them.

Fourth, and without doubt the most important for me, my driving style has completely changed. As the Volt or the Ampera is conceived to make you aware of your energy consumption, I surprised myself to give me a challenge to get a 100-percent driving efficiency on every trip and I often succeed. So that often I get more than 70 km on a full charge even in difficult terrain. It is now a challenge between my wife and me to get the higher mileage on a full charge or on a trip.

Fifth, usually I have to drive in heavy, often stop and go traffic. Before with my previous ICE cars, I returned home tired and stressed. Nothing like this with the Ampera with its driving easiness, the linearity of its accelerations, the regenerative power of the L position (I run in D only on highways if the traffic is not dense, that is 2 percent of the time) … and the quality of its infotainment system.

And at last, my surprise was that in the HOLD mode, the gas consumption in a long trip is around 4.8l/100km (more or less 50 mpg) with a normal driving style. I often drive in HOLD mode on highways when I know I cannot recharge at my destination to be able to drive in NORMAL mode in town and on the return trip.

Usually as an early adopter of new technologies I’m disappointed about one or another feature of my new purchase. Until now I have nothing to complaint about my Ampera (yes perhaps my own dumbness when it comes to assimilate and apply all the contents of the user’s manual!). I must say I learned a lot on GM-Volt.com and I have nothing extraordinary to tell about the mileage or the technology in different situations (I think all has already been said) except that I have been surprised by the response delay when I accelerate brutally (a very rare situation) in HOLD mode.

I only hope more people could have the opportunity and the pleasure to drive an Ampera or a Volt. For this, its price has to be lower, early adopters like a lot of us may help. It will help the world to diminish its oil dependency.

Yesterday Nissan confirmed it will begin European production of its e-NV200 – the third of four electric vehicles known to be part of its plans to proliferate EVs in a variety of segments.

A couple of the other EVs you also may know – the Leaf, launched December 2010, the Infiniti LE Concept luxury sedan introduced at the 2012 New York Auto Show that could compete with the Tesla Model S, and a fourth EV could be a small urban commuter for younger drivers.

The concept for the e–VN200 was shown January at the Detroit Motor Show, and Nissan’s confirmation indicates it will be built at its Barcelona plant in the 2013 financial year.

Nissan is sinking €41 million ($51.5 million) into the project estimated to create 700 jobs for Nissan and Spanish suppliers.

More than just a light-duty commercial vehicle, the e-NV200 will also be equipped as a family hauler, and Nissan heralded its second EV as a groundbreaking endeavor toward its goal of EVs taking over 10 percent of the auto market by 2020.

“e-NV200 represents a genuine breakthrough in commercial vehicles and further underlines Nissan’s leadership within the electric vehicle segment, said Andy Palmer, Nissan Executive Vice President. “The new model will offer all the spaciousness, versatility and practicality of a traditionally powered compact van, but with zero CO2 emission at the point of use and provides outstanding driving experience that is unique to EV’s. “Crucially, it will also offer class-leading running and maintenance costs which makes it an exceptionally attractive proposition to both businesses and families.”

Nissan says the e-NV200 will deliver a driving range similar to the Nissan LEAF on which it is based, along with similar performance, “with best in class running and maintenance costs.”

And while Nissan is catering to those who have larger carrying duties than can be met by the five-passenger Leaf, about the same time its luxury car division will be challenging California start-up Tesla with an Infiniti.

We have inquired of Nissan, and it is keeping tight lipped, but the Infiniti LE may well have an improved battery as could the Leaf.

Tesla is touting its roughly $50,000-$100,000 car will have range estimated from as much as 160 miles on a charge for the 40-kwh version to in excess of 300 miles for the 85-kwh versions.

But whether Infiniti will actually compete head-to-head, or just try to erode away Tesla’s customer base with its more established nameplate is anyone’s guess at this point.

The sporty LE Concept is more high-line than the Leaf, but underneath the pretty exterior shown this year resided a humble Leaf powertrain with 24-kwh battery supplying just 134 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque.

If Nissan really wants to compete with the powerful Model S variants, it will have to pull a rabbit out of a hat – or possibly more motor and new battery technology, such as NMC chemistry or the like that’s been rumored as long ago as 2009.

And not to leave another critical market segment out, Nissan also intends to make a car in Europe for people who don’t really even like cars all that much – the youngest generation.

Here the rumor mill was aided and abetted by Nissan’s own aforementioned Andy Palmer, who told Auto Express the company was considering the Pivo concepts as inspirational foundations.

“It’s aimed at the generation that’s coming up, that seems to have very little interest in conventional cars,” Palmer said. “If you add in-wheel motors and batteries under the floor, everything from there up is up to you.”

The 3-meter-long Pivo was shown at the 2011 Tokyo show and had such novel features as Automated Valet Parking (AVP) enabling it to automatically drive, locate a parking space and park without driver assistance. This technology though would require compatible infrastructure equipped parking lots.

Palmer said Nissan internally is calling the car slated for 2015 as “Symbol” and it will reinterpret what an EV should look like and be.

Incidentally, as the industry undergoes a shakeout over CHAdeMO vs. SAE plugs, Palmer also said the days are numbered for plugs. Low-voltage wireless inductive charging was only about a year away he said, and Nissan also is working on wireless high-voltage charging, but to date, “fast-charging wirelessly is a little more tricky.”

Tesla Motors has shown a talent for creating enthusiasm with lavish parties, personally written blogs, and an overall sense of imparting to its prospective customers that it is all about them.

Company founder Elon Musk must be flying high, having yesterday seen his separate SpaceX company successfully launch its historical first Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon spacecraft to orbit – and in unrelated news, one month from now on June 22, Tesla Motors is preparing to blast off its first Model S deliveries.

Yesterday, Tesla Communications Manager Shanna Hendriks told us the first 1,200 cars delivered will be top-of-the-range Signature Series 85-kwh models, and in all Tesla counts over 10,000 pre-orders for all variants including 60 kwh and 40 kwh.

Although Musk’s car and spacecraft operations are separate entities, the latest news according to an Enthusiasts blog post yesterday spoke of a “countdown” to this the Model S launch with tidbits about how personalization will be carried all the way to regenerative braking, steering, and suspension.

“I’d like to share a few Model S updates that again underscore how personalized YOUR Model S can be. Model S can be adjusted exactly the way YOU like it,” Blankenship wrote.

On the Model S 17-inch touchscreen, drivers can select from a menu that gives a high degree of individualization.

Adjustable Regen

Regenerative braking – not in itself unique – can be tailored on Model S for greater or less feeling of resistance when the driver’s foot is off the accelerator.

“We listened to your requests and I’m pleased to announce that Model S Regen will be adjustable. You can adjust Regen to suit your driving style,” he wrote. “Some owners like a little more resistance, some like a little less. Having less Regen means you will likely get less range, but some people still prefer the feel of their car with less Regen.”

Adjustable Steering

Beyond personalized regen, the automaker is offering a choice between “Comfort, Standard and Sport” steering.

The vehicle has speed sensitive, variable-ratio rack and pinion steering with electric assist.

“It’s allowing you to adjust the torque, based on driver preference. For example, the Comfort setting is very little torque. It is controlled through electric power steering.” Hendriks said.

Adjustable Suspension

As shown on the center stack touch screen, suspension can be electrically selected from a menu of VERY HIGH, HIGH, STANDARD, LOW, AND JACK – the recommended position for towing.

The Model S uses an Active Air Suspension, with some general details about it from Tesla’s Web site as follows:

Active Air Suspension Everyday advantages combine with on-demand features. Active Air Suspension automatically and continuously responds to speed and road conditions. As Model S accelerates, it lowers the vehicle for optimized aerodynamics and increased range. Raise and lower Model S using the touchscreen to traverse thick snow and enter extremely steep driveways. Much more than just a great ride and handling package.

Stoking the Flames

A phrase we’ve seen a few times already from Tesla’s marketers is “exceeded expectations.” The company says it has exceeded expectations in range and cold weather performance, and in general this seems to be a theme it would like show it has carried through in every way.

The Model S line starting at just below $50,000 to just around $100,000 is not inexpensive however, so what is expected and what really exceeds expectations could be debated, as the company is otherwise raising expectations for itself aiming to create the impression of a pampered experience for its customers.

As Musk is literally doing in his space endeavors, his terrestrially oriented company is likewise metaphorically shooting for the stars in its gambit to launch a new car company that since discontinuing its Roadster, has gone a few months with no current deliverable models, but it will be back at it again in another month.

The LA Times yesterday quoted Morgan Stanley which forecast deliveries of nearly 3,000 Model S cars this year, 16,000 in 2013, and 19,000 in 2014.

This came as news to Hendriks, who said the Palo Alto-based company expects to deliver 5,000 this year, but she said she was unable to divulge forecasts for subsequent years.

In any event, compared to its closes competitor, Fisker Automotive, Tesla appears to be hitting on a better stride as it moves with fewer problems and more chutzpah to propel itself into orbit as a bona fide U.S. based automaker, albeit with still more left to actually prove.

The Chevrolet Volt and Opel/Vauxhall Ampera represent a new kind of powertrain for General Motors which the company has covered with an 8-year/100,000 mile warranty, but what happens to that expensive battery should it cause issues, or after its usable service life?

We’ve heard critical speculators say Volt owners will be in for a new battery shortly after the 8 years, or 100,000 miles (160,000 km) – whichever comes first – thus wiping away the savings offered by potentially bypassing the gas pump due to its ability to operate as a medium-range electric vehicle.

In short, there’s no reason to suspect this worst-case scenario will be the case.

To begin with, the Volt/Ampera battery does not have a “die gene” imposing electrical rigor mortis on a car left in the hands of a hapless owner as soon as GM’s warranty liability period is over.

It is true the battery loses its charge holding capacity, but there’s reason to believe it’s over-engineered. It is thermally managed with liquid cooling and heating, and GM built in a “buffer” zone in which its battery management system never fully charges or discharges the pack. In fact, only 10 kilowatt-hours out of a total 16 are ever used as a means to preserving its longevity.

But according to GM’s Manager, Electric Vehicle and Hybrid Communications, Kevin Kelly, what GM has fully disclosed already is it does not quite know all the potential scenarios that could play out for aging Volt and Ampera batteries – but “we’re working diligently on it every day” he said of potential re-use scenarios and related questions.

By definition, GM considers the 16-kilowtt-hour Volt/Ampera battery to be at the end of its usable life cycle when it has around 70-percent charge-holding capacity. When exactly that threshold is reached could vary widely depending on climate, and how the vehicle is used – but what it also means is the battery is not useless after its “usable life.”

Post Retirement

If someone buys a Volt or Ampera and intends to run it till the proverbial wheels fall off, he or she will be faced eventually with a decision about the aging battery.

The greatest likelihood is someone will simply notice a progressive diminishing of its all-electric range. Newer Volt owners have reported range varying from around 25 miles in cold weather to just over 50 miles with gentle driving in perfect weather – batteries function best and “like” the same moderate weather humans do, and the Volt’s battery thermal management helps keep it closer to its ideal zone.

As one potential scenario, if someone normally gets, say, 38 miles electric range on an average day, and the battery became 75-percent worn out, the car might get only 28.5 miles electric range compared to when brand new. So no doubt, owners will see usable electric range drop over the years.

If they go well-beyond the warranty period – like 10-12 years or longer and well over 100,000 miles – the battery at some point will have probably degraded below its nominal “70-percent” usable life, but it still should have usable life – just not as much.

The good news is it won’t be an expensive-to-replace dead brick as some critics have implied. The not-as-good news is, the Volt/Ampera owner will benefit less from electric-only driving, which was a primary reason for buying the car.

The standard 8-year warranty averages to 12,500 miles driving per year. If the Volt/Ampera driver travels farther per year, naturally, the warranty will be exhausted sooner. When ever the end of “usable life” comes, again, it won’t be a definite end, but more a tapering off.

Future Unknown

Exactly what the most sensible decision will be for a future degraded battery, say, in 2020 is anyone’s guess – including GM’s – but that is why the company is researching and developing several possibilities now.

Kelly says the company has test Volts with well in excess of 200,000 miles still operating within spec which means the liquid-heated and cooled battery and related systems are engineered to at least go the distance in all climates.

But since this is a new kind of car in a nascent industry in which energy storage technology is developing – and battery prices are dropping on existing lithium-ion chemistries – Kelly says he cannot say what might be the best option at the end of the warranty period.

In as far away as eight years from now, it could be an upgraded original equipment retrofit, or the standard battery, which at present is the only recommended replacement.

How much would it cost?

“We don’t know that. We just don’t know that. Battery chemistries and battery technology is advancing at a rapid pace,” Kelly said. “We’re seeing the cost curve come down pretty significantly and we’re looking into other chemistries and other materials. We’re looking at ways to improve the value equation.”

If this kind of uncertainty alarms you, perhaps a Volt is not right for you, but that is not a conclusion GM would suggest, as it has a do-what-it-takes policy in place to help soften the potential edges of adapting to its new technology.

Opel Ampera.

Since the Volt’s launch, GM has offered white glove treatment for its early adopters better than Cadillac service. Consumer Reports rated the Volt as number one in owner satisfaction at 93 percent, currently placing it above all cars sold today.

During the recent publicity crisis in which the federal government was investigating the Volt’s battery, GM actually offered to buy back Volts from customers who were concerned for their safety; this move was considered above the call of duty, and Kelly said the company will continue to offer high levels of assurance all the way through the lifecycle of the Volt or Ampera in years to come.

That’s not saying GM is opening itself up to frivolous claims, but merely that it has policies and procedures in place to prevent Volt owners from coming out feeling like losers for having taken a chance on the car.

Should a battery need repair or replacement within warranty, by the way, Kelly said the company just contracted with Midtronics for tool that can “de-power” and service the Volt/Ampera battery.

The large T-shaped lithium-ion battery pack is comprised of LG Chem cells constructed in nine modules of varying capacities. Dealers authorized to work on the Volt/Ampera receive training on diagnosing its battery. In a warranty situation, dealers may replace modules or whole battery assemblies.

The policy is that should an entire battery be replaced, owners will get a new replacement battery. On the other hand if it is a repair scenario, the dealer is authorized to restore the battery to pro-rated performance levels on par with where the battery should have been at that point in its life. So, for example, if it is a four-year-old battery, a repair does not restore to new-spec charge holding capacity, but to a level on the anticipated wear curve for a normal four-year-old battery – exactly how much usable life is expected year after year of use is info that GM keeps confidential.

Unknown is whether aftermarketers would be in business to offer replacements.

Unknown is what value a used battery would have if an owner wanted to replace it, or how an owner would be credited or paid for a used battery that still has, say, 69-percent or less usable life in it. Kelly was unwilling to say what he thinks a used Volt/Ampera battery might be worth after so many years, but that it will have value is at least certain.

Of course all this becomes moot if someone leases the car, and simply turns it back in. Or, if longer-range, higher performance, electrified vehicles come down the pike as GM says they will, people may not even want to hold onto their old Volts.

So, as you might expect, also unknown is the used car market for first generation Volts a half decade or longer from now. Out of the gate, leasing companies have erred on the safe side, and projected lower values than might be expected for comparably priced gasoline cars.

Possibilties

While Volt/Ampera owners may opt in the future to replace their battery because its vehicle propulsion value is below acceptable, again, the used battery is not scrap, and GM is looking into ways to intelligently re-purpose the Volt/Ampera battery.

Research begun last year by GM predicts that secondary use of 33 Volt batteries will have enough capacity to power up to 50 homes for about four hours during a power outage.

One possible way is being worked on in collaboration with ABB Group. It and GM engineers are putting used Volt batteries back to work – with what capacity they have remaining – into energy storage devices for use by subdivisions, industrial parks, businesses or the like.

“GM’s battery leadership position doesn’t stop at the road – it extends throughout the life of the battery, including ways we can benefit society and the environment,” said Micky Bly, GM executive director – Global Electrical Systems, Electrification and Infotainment. “As we grow our battery systems expertise, we need to assure we’re optimizing the development of our battery systems with secondary use in mind from the start.

“Partnerships with organizations such as ABB provide real-world applications that prove what we’re doing is real, not fiction,” Bly said.

Kelly said later this year, GM and ABB will test a pilot project of re-purposed Volt batteries. This would involve reconfiguring the used modules, perhaps into squared shapes for mounting in a box sited at a facility, not merely re-using the entire Volt’s T-shaped pack which is shaped that way to fit the car.

Beyond this, Kelly said the company is looking at a number of different scenarios.

GM is even reusing scrap Chevrolet Volt battery covers as wood duck and screech owl nesting boxes. More than 150 have been installed in designated wildlife habitat areas surrounding GM facilities, as well as various locations across the U.S.

Like its customers, GM has not traveled this path before. The upside is the Volt is showing a major payback unlike conventional cars, so the belief by those who buy them is it will all pan out.

In the meantime, Kelly reiterated GM intends to stand by its owners all the way through.

“We want them to be happy,” he said, as GM continues to develop its technology – and wants repeat business.

Given the way GM has treated its Volt customers to date, we have seen no reason to suspect its stated position is anything but true.

Better Place is now open for business in Israel, with four battery switching stations operating, and 40 to be by year’s end.

The experiment in electric mobility offers five-minute battery swaps thus renewal of 100-mile range as quickly as a gasoline stop, making travel feasible from the northern end of the small country to the southern for those driving the roughly 140 and counting Renault Fluence cars.

The first adopters of the $32,000 car with leased battery are mostly Better Place employees; Better Place estimates within weeks the general public will begin receiving deliveries with “several hundred” reportedly on order. Leasing companies have also shown substantial interest, ordering 1,800 so far. By year’s end, Better Place said around 5,000 total should be on the road.

The deal involves leasing the battery for $300-500 monthly in a land of $8 per gallon gas. The Fluence is priced on par with comparatively equipped internal combustion vehicles. Fox News reported the entire value proposition offered will shave 20 percent off the cost of owning a conventional car – and saving will be higher as fuel prices rise.

Better Place founder Shai Agassi estimated the “tipping point” in favor of EVs assuming declining car and battery prices, should be in two-three years, and he ambitiously expects half of all new car sales in Israel to be electric by 2017.

If this is so, that would make Agassi even more of an optimist than Renault-Nissans’s Carlos Ghosn, who says by 2020 EVs will comprise 10 percent of new car sales in the far broader market Renault-Nissan is now proffering its goods.

To help offer choices beyond the Fluence, Renault is considering a smaller car compatible with battery swapping, and Better Place is also talking with other automakers. Meanwhile, it is heartened that thus far 80,000 people have expressed interest in its services at its Tel Aviv visitor’s center.

About 80-percent of Israel’s population is clustered in the geographically narrow country and Fox News called Israel the “perfect laboratory” to assess the viability of the replaceable battery system.

Later this year, Denmark is due to begin operating battery switching stations for Renault Fluences as well, followed by Amsterdam as the next European location. The first major market is to be Australia, beginning in Canberra this year, and pilot projects are also slated for Hawaii and California.

This said, eyes are on Israel, and how things go there could determine how things progress everywhere else in which the e-mobility model is expected to proliferate.

Since its founding four-and-a-half years ago, Better Place has raised $750 million. Investors include General Electric and HSBC Holdings PLC, with the largest being The Israel Corp. which also has a stake in Israel’s largest oil refinery and deep water oil drilling. Better Place has spent $400 million in getting started and is months behind schedule, but things appear to be starting now.

Fox observes Agassi’s brain child faces a “wall of skepticism,” as it has also observed of other efforts within the nascent industry intended to wean the world away from oil.

Like the Volt, the Better Place model has the broad goal of eliminating “range anxiety” albeit how Better Place does it is entirely different than adding a gasoline generator on board. Additionally, Better Place says it goes one better by offering cars priced comparatively to conventional ones – actually saving money rather than costing more right off the bat.

Detractors have speculated how the public will receive the Better Place way of doing things. A host of potential pitfalls are in question as the company embarks on proving its way will work, and Agassi is undeterred.

“We’re driving a car that most people said would be a fantasy,” he said.

Israel’s total new car market reportedly consists of about 200,000 annual sales. If half of them are electric by 2017 as Agassi reportedly predicts, that will wind up being a lot of batteries to store, don’t you think?

Of if you think not, how would it be if this idea caught on to the same degree in larger markets, as intended, where many more sales occur, longer distances are traveled, and ultimately hundreds of thousands to millions of cars started to rely on this way of doing things?

That’s just one observation, perhaps some of you can offer others?

Fox News

Note: This is a different story than usual, but I spoke with an engineer in India for nearly an hour, recorded the whole conversation, and wrote about this expedient solution initially for the emerging Indian market. As you’ll see, it’s technologically flexible and if eventually brought to Europe or the U.S. costs would undeniably go up, but I was curious what you all thought …

While some U.S.-based aftermarket startups are offering high-five-figure hybrid powertrain retrofits, an Indian original-equipment (OE) automotive supply firm is preparing to launch a simple $1,300-$3,500 bolt-on plug-in parallel hybrid system for the masses.

Having proven its effectiveness in testing so far, the prototype system called “Revolo” is being developed by KPIT Cummins as a gas- or diesel-engine add-on, first for the Indian market, but North American, European and Asian automakers have also already expressed interest in the system.

The anticipated installed cost of its belt-driven electric motor, battery and battery management system (BMS) works out to about one-third the selling price of a new vehicle in India, and the system functions essentially like GM’s eAssist.

While the batteries remain charged for average daily driving needs, fuel efficiency is said to be improved by 35 percent, emissions by 30 percent, and the system’s payback is to be less than two years from time of purchase.

One of the company’s two similarly sized “green” buildings in India. KPIT Cummins says both are designed to allow optimum utilization of natural resources.

If you’ve not heard of KPIT Cummins, briefly, it is a $309 million publicly traded company with over 7,700 employees, based in India, 11-percent owned by Cummins of North America. It has operations in North America, South America, Europe, Japan, Korea, China, and is a supplier to 14 of the top 20 original equipment manufacturers.

In a phone interview this week with one of the engineers involved in the project, we learned this will be the company’s first foray in automotive hardware plus software products, but it is building on its strengths as a behind-the-scenes automotive technology provider to most major automakers.

High Tech Low Tech

Because a low-cost but effective system had to be devised that could sell itself without any green car conversion incentives in India, KPIT had to think hard to come up with solutions to meet these criteria.

This was all the more challenging when trying to be viable in the light-duty commercial market for such vehicles as cabs and delivery trucks. Many Indian small businesses do not have pockets as deep as, say, American corporate fleet buyers who might spring for something like a $30,000 retrofit by the likes of ALTe or a $70-80,000 turnkey converted pickup from VIA Motors.

So to be sure, the several-hour installation of the Revolo parallel hybrid system upgrade – intended for engines up to 3.0 liters – is not as involved as these series hybrid powertrain retrofits, but it is said to get the job done with a quick return on investment.

Presently two motors are being developed for the system. One is for smaller passenger cars, rated at 2.2 kilowatt (3 horsepower, 22 pound-feet torque), the other is for light commercial vehicles rated at 7.5 kilowatts (10.2 horsepower, 55 pound-feet torque). KPIT Cummins says these continuous-output ratings can be peaked by triple these numbers for up to one minute bursts when needed.

Suzuki Alto on left, Tata 207 pickup on right. The Revolo system is currently made under a joint venture with component supplier Bharat Forge in India.

The result is a system that adds 20-40 percent more power to the internal combustion engine’s output when needed without using any fuel.

The idea is when the engine needs it most – such as at low rpm – the instant torque of the electric motor assists, then tapers off above 1,800-2,000 rpm seamlessly thanks to the sophisticated engine control unit (ECU).

The BMS and ECU that come with the installation are the company’s own design, can be adapted to a variety of battery chemistries, and rely on algorithms fed signals by some retrofitted sensors, as well as the vehicle’s stock sensors used by its ECU sensors.

Another innovation is the use of a high-efficiency AC induction motor, instead of a more costly permanent magnet motor, and unique lead-acid batteries made more durable with carbon technology.

Comparatively inexpensive lead acid batteries are usually considered the bottom of the automotive battery hierarchy, but the added carbon and other technological innovations extend life to around 750 recharge cycles.

In contrast, lithium-ion – which by the way, the system is compatible with also – would normally cost 3-5 times more.

KPIT Cummins has also tested with lithium-ion, but the carbon-enhanced lead-acid chemistry is getting the nod for the Indian market at this juncture. The Revolo system would also work with nickel-metal hydride, but KPIT-Cummins has not gravitated to that chemistry in its development work.

Planned battery range with lead acid is expected to be up to 62 miles for commercial vehicles, and about two-thirds that for commuter applications.

The idea is to provide enough range to work for most applications, either light commercial vehicles traveling up to 62 miles per day, or commuters traveling the average 18-25 miles per day in India.

After the batteries deplete, the BMS shuts the system down, the petrol engine continues to operate as normal, and the electric motor simply freewheels with no parasitic drag.

Regenerative braking does also offer 10-12 percent recharging to the batteries on average, extending range somewhat. After the system finally depletes, the regen feature stays operative, and if the batteries reach a sufficient state of charge, the system will automatically turn back on.

Another low-cost, but effective aspect is this plug-in hybrid system uses a basic three-phase plug much like a computer cord. No fancy 5-pin SAE J1772 or CHAdeMO plugs here to pay for – or risk being stolen.

Economics and Pragmatism First

For now, the Revolo system is intended as an efficiency boost, and not as a speed or acceleration performance enhancer, so 0-60 runs will only barely be improved. The main goal is saving money without costing a lot of money, and the benefits have not been lost on some of KPIT’s existing OE customers who’ve shown interest in the system.

For example, in testing the system mated to a sophisticated modern “European luxury SUV” with over 60 on-board ECUs – which KPIT Cummins was not at liberty to name – the Revolo system provoked no diagnostic error codes. This and other such testing have been taken as a good sign that the computer programming side of KPIT Cummins’ automotive engineered solution is as effective as the low-cost side of it is.

First things first however is to prove it works in the real world. The initial Indian market launch of the lead-acid system is anticipated to be a “lucrative” market with no downside for consumers.

Pending plans are for retrofitting the system through third-party franchises to existing vehicles. At the same time, KPIT Cummins is in discussions with automakers to build the system into new vehicles.

As mentioned, the company says it is talking with automakers about installing it in vehicles intended for the Indian market.

If all goes as intended, the company hopes for OE joint ventures, and in time to see its Revolo plug-in hybrid system installed in vehicles made for other markets also – possibly even the U.S. assuming it works as advertised.