Volt leads Chevrolet's ongoing drive toward innovation

100 Years of Chevrolet

19.09.2011

Back to overview

Print   |  Word   |  Share This   | 

The Volt is the first mass-produced electric vehicle with extended range. However, it is by no means the first Chevrolet to feature an alternative propulsion system. The Volt's 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack happens to have the same capacity for energy storage as the battery developed for General Motor's EV-1 four-seat prototype developed in the 1990s. However, the Volt's battery is roughly a third smaller and a third lighter.

A comparison between the EV-1 and today's leading design in the field of electric driving may seem unreasonable and unfair. What it can highlight, however, is Chevrolet's ongoing and successful effort to seize innovative ideas and transform them into practical, reliable and smart-looking cars.

The growing need for cars requiring less fuel and emitting fewer emissions inspired General Motors and its largest brand, Chevrolet, to incorporate innovations across the full spectrum of automotive systems – from the materials used and aerodynamic optimizations to novel propulsion systems. In fact, Louis Chevrolet himself was fast to recognize the benefit of using lightweight materials. Some of the race cars he drove and designed made extensive use of alloys instead of steel – a daring move at the time that was to pay off.

Drivetrain solutions that GM and Chevrolet have tested include radical ideas like the hydrogen fuel cell and different types of electric propulsions. At the same time, incremental improvement of thoroughly understood concepts like the diesel engine remains part of  Chevrolet's broader thrust towards increasing the efficiency and performance of its range.

Early beginnings and powerful advances

In 1966, the GM Electrovan was credited with being the first hydrogen fuel-cell car ever produced. Its fuel cell powerplant supplied a continuous output of about 32 kW and a peak output of 160 kW. Research on the hydrogen fuel cell technology has been continued in the context of Project Driveway. Launched in 2007, the market research program involves 119 hydrogen-powered Chevrolet Equinox that have logged hundreds of thousands of kilometers in cities around the world.

Three years earlier, at the 2004 Fuel Cell Marathon, two HydroGen3 vehicles covered nearly 10,000 km across Europe, from Hammerfest in Norway to Lisbon in Portugal. At the wheel of a HydroGen3, Grand Prix driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen also won the 2005 Monte Carlo Rally for cars using alternative propulsion.

While hydrogen vehicles have yet to achieve a decisive breakthrough in the market, GM's first series-production electric vehicle hit the roads in the late 1990s, in the shape of the aforementioned EV1 (1996-1999). A total of 1,117 of these sleek coupés were built and most were driven by customers in California and Arizona under a special lease agreement. The 137 hp motors linked to the vehicle's NiMH battery propelled the EV1 from zero to 100 km/h in just nine seconds. The EV-1 had a range of 112-145 km reached a top speed of 129 km/h and ranks among GM's most aerodynamic designs, with a an extremely low drag coefficient of 0.19.

Chevrolet has also made inroads into the domain of hybrid electric vehicles with its two-mode hybrid variant of the Tahoe. The SUV uses an electrically variable transmission and a 300 V nickel-metal energy storage system that operate in concert with the standard 6.0-liter V8 gasoline engine. The system delivers a dramatically enhanced fuel economy over non-hybrid models, including a 33 percent improvement in city driving.

Changing perceptions

The Chevrolet Volt rides on the crest of a wave of innovations whose origins date back into an era long gone by. Its range-extending capability enables the Volt to transcend the limitations that renders a variety of other electric vehicles less practicable for everyday driving. As a growing number of drivers experience the car's advantages first hand, the perception of what a modern electric vehicle looks like and what it can do, is about to change fundamentally.

Already today, the Chevrolet Volt represents a milestone in the history of the automobile, and yet, the search for other exciting solutions is continuing unabated. Chevrolet's Miray Roadster Concept, first unveiled at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show, is built of carbon and carbon fiber. The Miray's "mid-electric" propulsion system is located primarily behind and beneath the driver and has been engineered to maximize performance and fuel efficiency.

Its two front-mounted 15 kW electric motors are powered by a 1.6 kWh lithium-ion battery which is charged through regenerative braking energy. The system can be switched from front-wheel to rear-wheel drive.

But perhaps more than anything else, the Chevrolet Miray, just like the Volt, drives home the notion that electric vehicles can look truly great. In doing so, they prove the point that iconic design, passion for driving and technological innovation can be reconciled.

About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is General Motors' largest global brand with annual sales of about 4 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. It is the fourth biggest global car brand in terms of sales and also one of the fastest growing brands in the world. Chevrolet cars combine passion, bold design and practicality. They provide outstanding value for money. After re-launching the brand in Europe in 2005, Chevrolet more than doubled its sales to over 500,000 in 2008. In 2010, Chevrolet grew its market share in Europe to 2.5 percent, selling 477,194 cars. Chevrolet has a network of more than 2,700 dealers and service points in Europe. The Chevrolet line-up includes the Spark city car, the small Aveo, the compact four-door Cruze, the Captiva SUV and the legendary Corvette sports car. In 2011, Chevrolet is launching seven new cars: the all-new Orlando family van, the new Captiva SUV, the Corvette Grand Sport Coupé, the all-new five-door and four-door Aveo, the five-door Cruze, the Camaro coupé and convertible and the award-winning extended-range Volt electric car. Chevrolet's biggest markets in Europe are Russia, Italy, Germany, Spain, France and Turkey. Established in the U.S. by Swiss émigré Louis Chevrolet in 1911, the brand is celebrating its centenary in 2011. More information on Chevrolet can be found at www.chevroleteurope.com or media.chevroleteurope.com.