| The Chevrolet Volt is a battery-powered, | | | | gallon," Lutz said. "More than half of all |
| four-passenger electric vehicle that uses a | | | | Americans live within 20 miles of where they |
| gas engine to create additional electricity | | | | work (40 miles round trip). In that case, you |
| to extend its range. The Volt draws from GM | | | | might never burn a drop of gas during the |
| previous experience in starting the modern | | | | life of the car." |
| electric vehicle market when it launched the | | | | |
| EV1 in 1996, according to GM Vice Chairman | | | | In addition, the Chevrolet Volt is designed |
| Robert A. Lutz. | | | | to run on E85, a fuel blend of 85 percent |
| | | | ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Using E85, |
| "The EV1 was the benchmark in battery | | | | fuel economy of 150 mpg would translate into |
| technology and was a tremendous achievement," | | | | more than 525 miles per petroleum gallon. |
| Lutz said. "Even so, electric vehicles, in | | | | |
| general, had limitations. They had limited | | | | General Motors has also announced it has |
| range, limited room for passengers or | | | | awarded advanced battery development |
| luggage, couldnt climb a hill or run the air | | | | contracts to two suppliers to design and test |
| conditioning without depleting the battery, | | | | lithium-ion batteries for use in the Saturn |
| and had no device to get you home when the | | | | Vue Green Line plug-in hybrid SUV. |
| batterys charge ran low. | | | | |
| | | | One contract has been awarded to Johnson |
| "The Chevrolet Volt is a new type of electric | | | | Controls Saft Advanced Power Solutions, LLC, |
| vehicle. It addresses the range problem and | | | | a joint venture between Tier 1 automotive |
| has room for passengers and their stuff. You | | | | supplier Johnson Controls and Saft. Another |
| can climb a hill or turn on the air | | | | agreement was signed with Cobasys, in |
| conditioning and not worry about it." | | | | partnership with A123Systems. Cobasys, based |
| | | | in Orion, Mich., is a joint venture between |
| The Volt can be fully charged by plugging it | | | | Chevron Technology Ventures LLC, a subsidiary |
| into a 110-volt outlet for approximately six | | | | of Chevron Corp., and Energy Conversion |
| hours a day. When the lithium-ion battery is | | | | Devices, Inc. A123Systems, based in |
| fully charged, the Volt can deliver 40 city | | | | Watertown, Mass., is a leading manufacturer |
| miles of pure electric vehicle range. When | | | | of high power lithium-ion batteries. |
| the battery is depleted, a 1L, three-cylinder | | | | |
| turbocharged engine spins at a constant | | | | The two test batteries, one from Cobasys |
| speed, or revolutions per minute (rpm), to | | | | A123Systems and the other from Johnson |
| create electricity and replenish the battery. | | | | Controls Saft , will be evaluated in |
| According to Lutz, this increases the fuel | | | | prototype Saturn Vue Green Line plug-in |
| economy and range. | | | | hybrids beginning later this year. While both |
| | | | are lithium-ion batteries, the chemistry |
| "If you lived within 30 miles from work (60 | | | | differs significantly. The suppliers also use |
| miles round trip) and charged your vehicle | | | | unique methods in the design and assembling |
| every night when you came home or during the | | | | of the battery packs. |
| day at work, you would get 150 miles per | | | | |