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111 Kw or not?

5K views 22 replies 15 participants last post by  ampera_jed 
#1 ·
Hi Everyone!
More curious than worried it would be an issue. '15 Volt with 20k miles has been flawless. Just noticed that the rare occasions I push the 'gas' pedal all the way down the Kw meter only goes to 105, sometimes 108-109 but never 111 Kw. Is it normal or should I be actually getting 111 Kw in the display?
 
#2 ·
When you've got the pedal all the way down, you should be watching the road not your DIC (driver information console)!!!

Then comes the question of whether you even need to really be flooring it on city streets with traffic. Be safe.
 
#3 ·
I certainly hope so!

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Seriously, though, in EV mode the display on the dash does only seem to go to 109, but in CS mode, it actually goes above 111 - up to 114kw on the in dash display, and if you look at data over the ODB-II interface in Torque the total power output of the entire system can go into the 120s.
 
#5 ·
When it is very cold my DIC seems to top out at 105kW'ish. When we were still having the occasional 70 degree day (the first week I owned it) I was getting 111kW and the occasional brief spike to 114kW.

(and just for LLninja... I live in the "back of beyond" and am frequently the only car on the road for LONG stretches of time. <grin>)
 
#6 · (Edited)
That is likely correct: you won't hit 111kW in EV mode. That is because the maximum battery output power is lower than the rated 111kW motor power. Volt-1 is faster in CS (Hold) mode because the generator and the battery work in parallel to provide energy to the motor.

To back this up with hard data, I measured power and speed using DashDaq. See this thread for all details: "8% higher power in Hold (CS) mode"
 
#12 ·
As did I. We'll need to grow a new Elemental, snarkier than the original. any volunteers?
 
#11 ·
Sorry I'm late to the party. :)

Good news is, I have corrupted enough people that they pick up my slack. :)
 
#17 ·
I have a 2016 Volt. When I've tried gunning it (up a hill if that matters), I got a total of 120 kw. Weather is mild (60s F), so idle energy pull is just 0.5kw. No clue where the extra drain is from.

PS also no fun to watch your EV range drop 4 miles in a matter of 30 seconds.
 
#20 ·
I was surprised seeing people saying it won't go up to 111kW. I have seen this thread before, but did a double check last night - first time to drive safe and watch gauge since seeing this thread.

On this occasion the car was warmed up but it was still cold out, and the battery wouldn't have been like at summer temps. Anyhow, with 50% SOC indicated I floored it at ~30mph and watched the gauge, it quickly shot up, hung at 108kW for a second or so then crept up to 110kW for a couple of seconds then dropped 109 .. 108 ... then I eased off.

I'd be surprised it that last kW doesn't 'fill out' in summer temperatures. I am sure I have seen 113kW flash up once (no engine), might be mistaken...

Do you think the full-power capability is a function of the battery state of health, rather than just an electronic limit? Could be a way to monitor health over a long time, if that max power drops away as the battery ages?
 
#21 ·
Put it in hold mode and punch it, you'LL see 111 then
 
#22 ·
I'm not the design engineer but there are a few things that are going to limit your power. The first one are the limits set in the computer (power and current). The second is the capability of the drive train and more specifically the voltage on the battery. The higher the voltage the more torque and power you will get as long as you don't hit the software limits. I don't know the sweet spot for battery temperature but I think it is around 70F (20C) and have your battery fully charged. Having the engine running by putting it in hold mode might reduce the voltage drops in the system to give you a slightly higher voltage at the traction motors.
 
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