They may be a little late to the alternative drivetrain party, but General Motors (GM) have been careful in rolling out their electric (alternative powered) car to the global market, the ‘Volt’. The Volt is not new to us and maybe to most of you who have been scouring the Internet seeking information on next generation driven vehicles. We were invited by Naza Quest to Shanghai, China in late October for the media test drive of the Volt which is ready to start rolling into North American GM showrooms this month.
The Chevrolet Volt is driven mostly by electricity. We say mostly because it uses a 350-volt, 16-killowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that moves the car with a decent 149 horsepower and 250 pounds-feet of torque. When the battery power is depleted, a 1.4-liter four-cylinder petrol engine kicks in seamlessly with just 84 hp to drive an electric generator to charge up the battery pack for more on-road experience.
The Volt still requires petrol so some might argue why it is tagged as a pure electric car and not a hybrid. But GM engineers will debate you on this fact that the 1.4-liter petrol engine ‘does not’ directly power the car and it is just a generator that ‘charges’ the electric motor to give you extended range (this way very little petrol is used).
Chevrolet estimates a fully depleted Volt battery will recharge in 4 to 5 hours using a common 240-volt household power outlet like the one in your Malaysian home or office. Charging times will double that if you are using a 120-volt power outlet like the one used in American homes.
In Malaysia we use 240-volt and so running this car in 2013 when it is seriously expected to arrive in Naza Quest showrooms, the typical Volt owner in the city can get himself mobile pretty quick and easy for daily commute. The Volt comes with an estimated 80 kilometer drive range on a full charge, which is roughly what an average Klang Valley resident commutes to and fro their journey to work and back home.
Take in some extended city traffic jams and with the air conditioning dialed to the coldest temperature and highest blower which consumes more power and so the need for the 1.4-liter engine to charge the battery will be called in for sure. Therefore the Volt will still run efficiently on minimum fuel. Now for owners taking balik-kampung trips for the festive season, there will be some planning needed.
A full charge and with a full tank of petrol to charge the battery, the Volt will see some 490 kilometers of non-refueling driving. If they plan their trip and leave in the morning, use low air-conditioning and drive calmly, the range could be better taking them from Shah Alam to Kota Bahru without the need to refuel.
Remember, fuel efficiency varies with driving style, temperature, number of passengers and other conditions, such as terrain, which is why everything’s cited as a range (just like the Prius and Civic hybrid).
So how does the Volt drive? Well we had only about 8 kilometers of drive time over some varied tarmac but it was enough for us to get an impression of the car for city commuting. It accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in under 9 seconds. You feel the most trust of power from 0-50km/h and then its momentum tapers of a little. Its top speed is limited to 160 km/h and this is sufficient for outstation travel and is above legal limits.
There are three drive modes and two forward transmission positions. The first two modes, Normal and Sport, apply to battery-only and range-extending operation. ‘Normal’ drive mode is a mix of efficiency and power. ‘Sport’ makes the accelerator pedal more sensitive, though it doesn’t make the car quicker overall. If you floor it in Normal mode, the Volt accelerates just as quickly as it would in Sport mode.
The most unique setting is ‘Mountain’ mode which you see in the next picture (center of the display). As I mentioned, the generator makes enough power to accelerate the car and keep it moving, but it can’t do it as quickly as the battery can. The generator maintains enough of a buffer in the battery so when you are in normal driving there is enough power to give a solid pickup and maintain a sensible cruising speed.
However if you suddenly experience hilly roads like when driving around Bangsar or Damansara Heights, the petrol powered generator might not be able to keep up and you will experience lesser acceleration, however you will still be able to proceed to your destination. Mountain mode is something you activate in anticipation of prolonged uphill driving, like when you are taking the family to Gentings or Camerons for the weekend. You need to activate Mountain mode a of time. This allows the generator to work at full output to put some extra reserve power in the battery pack.
Back to the test drive of the Volt. Using energy saving 215/55/17 Goodyear low rolling resistance tyres fitted on stylish 17-inch alloy wheels, the Volt not only looks like a sporty sportback but also returns decent handling. With the 435-pound T-shaped battery pack mounted low under the center console and rear seats, the Volt’s center of gravity is somewhere between 1.5 and 2 inches lower than a comparable car’s which returns good handling and a rather grounded feel (feeling of weight and stability). This also gives the car better front/rear weight distribution than the front-drive average of 60/40 percent. Chevrolet said the figure is actually 61.5/38.5 percent. Turning radius is decent and the steering nicely weighted.
It is an easy car to get used to and after the initial drama of the high technology, the 2 screens on the dashboard relating all kinds of info to you gets easy on you and the Volt and all its technology inside is forgotten until you see your monthly fuel bill reducing by more than half (over 4-6 years of ownership this savings cover the premium selling price).
The Volt’s lithium-ion battery pack is warrantied for eight years or 160,000 kilometers, which should reassure owners who choose to buy the car. This does not mean that the battery will die completely after this warranty period. Like a laptop or handphone battery it will start diminishing its charge power as the years go by and after the warranty period its battery drive time might be half or less. You will still be able to use your Volt for a few more years, but you might consume more petrol to charge up the battery pack. Battery replacement costs for now is high (estimates of RM25-RM35,000) has been whispered but with battery technology moving fast ahead we predict this costs to be halved in the next 3-5 years and down to 1/3 when YOUR Volt needs a new battery.
