mkjayakumar said:
The stated goal is to drive the car on electricity as much as possible. Charge at home for ~1/5 the cost. It can occur at 55-60MPH where it will build up a tiny buffer (~.5kWh) and the ICE will shut off for a few minutes. Generally at 65+ the ICE just keeps the battery up and buffer around a stable SOC to propel the car with a little extra for a hill or passing.Herm said:
Good question for http://www.gm-volt.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;IBELEAF said:
Only BEV are exempt from sales tax in WA. PHEV, like Volt, are only exempt from the extra .3% vehicle motor sales tax.IBELEAF said:
IBELEAF said:
Herm said:
IBELEAF said:
DaveinOlyWA said:
Yes they try to avoid using the engine to charge the batteries. I think they try to match the RPM of the engine to the required electrical output of the generator. (The generator feeds electricity directly to the larger traction motor not to the battery). Going less than 100 MPH wouldn't result in electricity being sent to the battery, it would result in the engine turning over at a lower more efficient RPM.Herm said:
My understanding is that above 63 mph or so, the engine rpm is matched so the battery is maintained at a target average state of charge. At speeds under 63 mph or so, the battery is slowly charged within a narrow hybrid SOC window and then the engine is shut off and the car runs on battery for awhile (around 2 miles at 55-60 mph). Rinse and repeat. This charge cycling is more efficient than running the engine at even slower RPM. On a warmed up engine (after 5+ highway miles) I get anywhere from 45-50 mpg driving 55 mph as the engine cycles on and off like that.SanDust said:
You need more than 150 HP, 273 ft. lbs. torque, and 0-60 in 8.5 seconds? You do realize that the Volt is a bit faster in CS mode with the engine than it is in EV-only mode? The gas engine is only 80 HP or so but the car still has access to a SOC window in the battery pack that makes up the difference for any realistic short-term power gap.IBELEAF said:
At reasonably steady speeds above 37 mph or so, the Volt operates much like a Prius and uses a combination of mechanical torque and a series electrical generation path to drive the wheels via a continuously variable planetary gear setup. During higher torque requirements (harder acceleration) or speeds under 37 mph or so the Volt runs as a serial hybrid without a mechanical path to the wheels. It has automatic transmission type clutches to switch between these modes.mkjayakumar said:
I've driven on gasoline about 11,000 miles in the last 1.5 years and the car tells me I still have half of my oil lifetime remaining. I'll get it changed when the 2 year limit comes up in Decembe, as recommended due to calendar aging. Part of the good oil life is due to use of synthetic oil and the other part is that most gasoline burning on the Volt will be done on the highway. Oil lifetime is hurt more by short trips on the engine during city driving and repeated cold engine starts and the Volt's EV range tends to reduce the need for those versus a conventional or non-plugin hybrid. The Volt's engine computer keeps track of your usage pattern and uses that to calculate the estimated oil life.drees said:
Woudl that reflect the more efficient (or at least more capacity/larger range) battery, in a part EV/part gas trip? I don't remember how they determine MPGe.drees said:
