Hybrid Jungle

GM has a very ambitious timeline to bring the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid to the market in 2010. Frank Webber, GM’s vehicle line executive goes on to say that the Volt is the “No. 1 priority project that we have now within GM.” and “This project is not concept work. This program is not theory. It is reality.”

The Volt will be capable of driving 40 miles purely on its electric motors. If the charge in the battery packs runs low, the car will operate as a conventional hybrid to help charge the batteries. The Volt is also set to use lithium-ion batteries instead of NiMH. Many automakers are exploring the use of lithium-ion batteries, but at this point they are not offered on any production vehicle. GM’s goal is for the batteries to run for at least 150,000 miles, last ten years, and allow the vehicle to reach 60 mph in less than 9 seconds.

A unique problem that GM will need to overcome is having the fuel in the gas tank go stale. Since the car could potentially be driven for weeks on short commutes without the combustion engine ever starting. As a result, they will likely have some automated system that will start the engine to burn off some gas when needed to prevent engine damage.

Plug-in hybrids offer a significant advantage when compared to a conventional hybrid. If you work within 20 miles of your home, you could theoretically drive to work and back without using a single drop of gasoline. At this point you could plug your car into an electrical outlet in your garage to charge the batteries, and then you could start the same process again the next day. In other words, if you used the car solely for short commutes, you could pretty much be gasoline free.

Source: Reuters

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