Chevy Volt - Concept Car
The Chevrolet Volt is likely to come on the market soon . It began as an electrically powered automobile and then a small engine was added to increase the driving range of the vehicle .
_
The first version of the volt was a lithium-ion battery operated vehicle . 
A 1.0 liter 3 cylinder turbocharged engine and a 53 kilowatt generator were added to increase the driving range . The difference between the Volt and a hybrid is that the motor only drives the generator and never drives the wheels . There is no mechanical power train needed .
The battery has a range of 40 miles . With out the engine ever running . This means a commuter who drove less than 20 miles each way to work , would not have to burn any gasoline .
It plugs into a normal 110 volt house outlet and is recharged in about 6 hours . When the Volt is driven on longer trips the motor kicks in and the generator recharges the battery while driving . The 12 gallon (US) fuel tank allows a range of about 640 Miles with a cruising speed up to 70 miles per hour , on the highway . It is estimated that about 75 % of commuters would burn no gasoline at all going to and from work , or for trips around town ? Cost of operation projections vary due to electrical utility rates but $2.50 pre 100 miles or less is expected and up to 230 mpg (US) average is also projected ?
_
Check out
