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OK, this is confusing: [link]
Interesting news from General Motors today that's resulted in some puzzled expressions at Engadget HQ. Since the concept stage the company has been saying how the onboard internal combustion engine was just to charge the batteries, that only the electric motors (there are two) are actually connected to the drivetrain. We're now learning that is not the case, that the Volt's gasoline engine can directly provide power to the wheels in concert with the electric motors.
It's not a battery-powered car with an internal combustion engine that only recharges the battery; it's just a regular hybrid.
You knew this? This is the first I've heard that it's just an ordinary hybrid.
You knew this?
Nope. Just found that out from the article.
That's not what the Chevy Volt page implies.
I wouldn't call it an ordinary hybrid. The ICE only contributes power at highway speed when it's already activated to maintain charge since it's more efficient than just charging the battery and having only the electric motors provide power.
Yeah if true this is news. Everybody thought this was going to be first commercial true series hybrid. Normally when a mainstream news org gives different tech info than the company (about specs, not safety issues and stuff), the mainstream news org has screwed up. We will see if this is an exception.
It certainly makes the drivetrain a hell of a lot more complicated, though.
Ah, and Gudanov explains. That makes sense. So it is a true electric during the first 40 miles or so, and then after that becomes series hybrid at low speeds, and a
parallel electric at high speeds.
Actually, I don't think I got it quite right. It sounds like the ICE will always get triggered at high speed since the electric motor is less efficient when spinning that fast and it'll burn through more charge. But basically that's right, it becomes a parallel hybrid at high speeds and a series hybrid at low speeds in order to get the most out of it's electrical charge.
