According to General Motors, the 2016 Volt is “the most customer-inspired car to be launched in recent history.” While there’s basically no way to verify that claim, it’s no secret that Chevrolet kept in close contact with owners of the current Volt during its production run. When asked how to improve the upcoming 2016 Volt, the owners responded with an overwhelmingly universal reply: extend the EV range. While this was hardly a revelation, customers’ second request—that Chevy make the car more fun to drive—took the maker by surprise. And so Chevrolet tried to do both.

electronic DASHBOARD

leather covers are also available

Called the Voltec Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) propulsion system by GM, the Volt’s powertrain ties together a battery pack, the drive unit, and a range-extending engine, as well as myriad control electronics. Volt chief engineer Andrew Farah describes the process of engineering the setup as an “exercise in energy management.”

To provide the powertrain with a healthy source of current, GM revised the battery-cell chemistry, increasing the storage capacity by 20 percent while simultaneously reducing the total number of cells from 288 to 192 and shedding about 22 pounds of weight. The battery is now capable of storing 18.4 kWh (versus 17.1 kWh previously), and its discharge rate has also increased slightly to 120 kW from 110 kW, which helps improve performance. Still assembled into a T-shaped pack, the cells are now positioned lower in the unit, which contributes to a lower center of gravity for the car. The battery advancements enable the new Volt’s claimed 50-mile EV range, a significant improvement over the current car’s 35-mile rating. Overall range while using the onboard gasoline engine is projected to be 400 miles, and GM is quoting an anticipated MPGe figure of 102.

HP 15 - BS662TU 15.6-inch FHD Laptop (7th Gen Core i3-7020U/4GB DDR4/1TB HDD/Win 10/Intel HD Graphics/Fast Charge) Natural Silver

While horsepower remains the same at 149, torque increases by 21 lb-ft to 294. Designed with improved noise, vibration, and harshness characteristics in mind (reduced NVH was third on the customer wish list), the new motor-generators are closer in size in contrast to the previous car’s large-motor/small-motor configuration. We’re told that the use of rare-earth elements has been almost eliminated in the motors’ construction—one motor uses none of the materials, the other only a very small amount—and that this saves costs and reduces reliance on outside suppliers. GM says the motors are capable of operating either in tandem or individually in the interest of optimizing performance and efficiency. Power flow is managed by the Traction Power Inverter Module (TPIM), which has been integrated into the drive unit to reduce mass and size and to improve powertrain efficiency. GM says the two-motor setup is 12-percent more efficient than before and that nearly every component in the system is new or overhauled.

FOR SPECS:- click here

source: Chevrolet