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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Tech , Chevrolet , GM The hopes and dreams of electric car aficionados for a purely battery powered successor to the late, lamented EV1 may soon be satisfied. Or not. It all depends on ... you guessed it, the battery. However, the latest utterings from Maximum Bob have people buzzing again. Mr. Lutz spoke to EV site PetroZero the other day and intimated that a purely battery-powered variant of the upcoming Volt is a possibility, leaving the range extender on the cutting room floor. This is actually not a new idea and dates back to the earliest dates of the Volt program. During a media briefing back in December 2006 several weeks before the Volt's public release, the Volt team showed us images like the one above that included several different powertrain configurations. The premise was to demonstrate the flexibility part of E-Flex. This included a variant with a larger battery and no engine to charge it . This pure EV was described as something...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Tech , GM Fans of hybrid vehicles have been clamoring for carmakers to add plug-in capability to those models so that they can grab some juice off the grid and leave more in the tank. The problem is that making a useful PHEV is actually not as simple as just plopping in a bigger battery pack and some charging circuitry. Current hybrid models are only designed to run on electricity at light loads and relatively low speeds. At higher speeds or rates of acceleration they operate in a blended mode with both the engine and electric motor running. This of course is still beneficial because it means a smaller less powerful engine is required to meet customer performance expectations while saving gas. In the real world, PHEVs need more electrical power from the motor in order to actually go farther without starting the engine. A new study done by General Motors using real world data recorded from over 600 cars analyzed how standard and plug-in hybrids...
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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Hybrids/Alternative , CES , Green , Tech , Crossovers/CUVs , Cadillac Click on the Cadillac Provoq concept for a high-res image gallery var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/Cadillac_Provoq_Concept_debuts_at_CES_2008'; Following the introductions of the Chevrolet Volt and Opel Flextreme during 2007 auto show season, Cadillac is bringing forth a third design based on the E-Flex architecture. The Cadillac Provoq concept is intended to help give the brand an image of premium sustainability by updating the fuel cell E-Flex powertrain that was shown in a Chevy Volt at the Shanghai Motor Show last year . The Provoq is a luxury crossover design that's considerably larger than the Volt. With updated Cadillac styling cues on a 180-inch long CUV body, it's stretched 10 inches longer than a Volt to allow comfortable seating for five passengers. The Provoq is built around GM's fifth-generation fuel cell stack combined with a 9kWh lithium ion battery...
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