Up to 70 mph after the battery has depleted to a certain level, the engine fires up and is connected to the smaller motor that acts as a generator to provide electricity for the larger traction motor.Ĥ – High speed series-parallel hybrid mode.
#2014 CHEVY VOLT RANGE EXTENDER SERIES#
If the larger traction motor were to provide sole motive power at high speeds, electric range would be compromised as motors lose efficiency at excessive RPM.ģ – Low speed series hybrid mode. Both motors turning in the same direction allows the planetary carrier to rotate faster and reach high speeds while keeping the speed of both electric machines closer to the optimal efficiency band. In this mode, the ring gear is fixed to the smaller motor while the larger motor turns the sun gear. However, the configuration changes to improve efficiency above 70 mph. Up to 100 mph, the Volt is still capable of running without using the gasoline engine. Up to 70 mph, the larger traction motor provides the necessary torque while the engine and smaller motor-generator are disconnected from the transmission and the outer ring gear is locked in place.Ģ – High speed EV mode. This configuration allows for four different “drive modes” with the Volt, as described by Edmunds:ġ – Low speed EV mode.
The 72-hp generator motor can be fixed to the outer ring gear, the gasoline engine, or both at once using clutches. It actually uses a planetary gearset with a second electric machine the 149-hp traction motor is connected to the central sun gear, while the planetary carrier provides the output to the differential. Interestingly, though, the Volt doesn’t have just a single-speed direct drive transmission as you might expect for what is effectively an EV. It functions as a generator to produce electricity for the drive motor. When the battery depletes to a certain level, the 1.4 liter 84-hp gasoline engine kicks on in a smooth transition. The 16 kWh battery pack allows for approximately 38 miles of all electric range powered by a 149-hp electric motor. In reality the Volt is technically a series-parallel plug-in hybrid, meaning the engine is also capable of powering the wheels when necessary. We eventually found out that GM wasn’t being entirely truthful and the real system is actually far more complex. When it was first unveiled, GM tried to tell everyone that the Volt was a pure series hybrid that is, the battery supplied electricity to the motor until it ran out, at which point the gasoline engine would rumble to life and generate electricity to feed to the motor. How the two vehicles go about it, though, is what distinguishes one from the other. The Chevrolet Volt and the BMW i3 REx are two electric vehicles that rely on gasoline backup to alleviate range anxiety.
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