Chevy Volt FAQs

Q: What is the Chevy Volt?
A: The Chevy Volt is an extended-range electric car being developed by General Motors. It currently exists in pre-production prototype form only but GM reports they are fully committed to bring the car to production. In June 2008, GM’s board of directors voted to fund production of the vehicle, and in September 2008 the production version was unveiled.  Mule vehicles have been running since 2008 and the first pre-production cars arrived in June 2009.

Q: How is the Chevy Volt different than other cars on the road?
A: The car is a plug-in range-extended electric vehicle with an on-board gasoline generator. It will have a large battery that stores power from your home electric outlet and which is connected to an electric motor. The electric motor directly propels the car. The battery can last for the first 40 miles. After that, should one continue to need to drive, the on-board gasoline/E85 generator will power up to provide electricity for the motor.

Q: How is the Chevy Volt different than today’s hybrids, like the Prius?
A: Today’s hybrids are called parallel hybrids. They use a small electric motor for low speed driving, but switch to a regular gas engine for acceleration and faster speed driving with the electric motor providing enhancement, hence both engines work side by side or in parallel. The Volt is a series vehicle meaning only the electric motor power the car at all times, the gas engine is just a generator, making electric to keep the batteries in a steady state of charge after 40 miles.

Q: What is the driving range of the Chevy Volt?
A: The car is being designed to drive at least 40 miles on pure electricity stored in the battery from overnight home charging. After that the gas engine will kick in and allow the car to be driven up to 400 miles on a full tank (~8 gallons) of gas.

Q: How many miles per gallon will the Chevy Volt get?
A: A bit of a trick question. For the first 40 miles it will get infinite mpg, because no gas will be burned. When the generator starts, the car will get an equivalent of up to 50 mpg thereafter. One can calculate the average mpg per for any length drive starting with a full battery: Total MPG = 50xM/(M-40).  GM has announced the car will get 230 MPG for the average city driver over time assuming nightly full recharges.

Q: When will the car be available?
A: GM has committed to begin mass production in November 2010, as a 2011 model year.

Q: What type of batteries will the Chevy Volt use?
A: The car is being designed around an advanced battery pack which uses lithium-ion chemistry. This chemistry appears in cell phones and laptops. For automotive use the packs and cells will be more powerful and safe.

Q: Is it a four or five-seater?
A: Four

Q: How much will the car cost?
A: Goal is to be less than $30,000, but first versions might be closer to $40,000.

Q: What is the cost of operation of the car
A: With current average U.S. electric rates of ~10 cents/kwh it should cost 80 cents to drive for the first 40 miles, and then get 50 mpg thereafter using gasoline (market rate).

Q: Why is the car taking so long to make?
A: GM states all major engineering hurdles have been cleared.  At this point its just testing and verification as well as optimizing the man-machine interactive.

Q: Who is making the Volt’s battery packs?
A: GM has chosen LG Chem of Korea to supply the lithium-ion cells.  GM will assemble the packs themselves.

Q; Does the car use regenerative braking?
A: Yes. This means when the car is slowed, the kinetic or motion-based energy will be recaptured as electricity stored in the battery.

Q: How is the car different than the EV-1?
A: The EV-1 had only an electric motor and older technology batteries, and had a 100 miles driving range. There was no onboard generator.

Q: How long will it take to recharge the Volt?
A: 6.5 hours using a 110 volt (standard home) outlet, and about 3 hours if you have a 220 volt supply.

Q: Is GM recruiting test drivers?
A: No.

Q: Is there a waiting list for the car?
A: No official waiting list, but we have an unofficial waiting list here on GM-Volt.com.

Q: What type of electric motor does the Volt have?
A: A/C 3-phase

Q: Will the Volt have a solar panel on the roof?
A: Not on the first releases, though possibly be an option in later models.

Q: Will tall people fit in it?
A: Bob Boniface, chief of Volt design says the car is being designed to accommodate drivers from 5th percentile females up to 95th percentile height males.

Q:  Are there any goverment incentives to purchase this car?
A:  Buyers will be entitled to a $7500 tax credit for the first 250,000 vehicles sold.

To understand how the battery is charged by the on-board generator read this.

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