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18/12/2011
REVIEW by EWAN KENNEDY
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As part of a major campaign preceding the launch of the Holden Volt in late 2012, General Motors Holden held a high-level media function in Sydney to display its all-new electric vehicle (EV).
Holden Volt, currently on sale in the USA as the Chevrolet Volt takes an interesting new tack in EV design. Though Holden doesn’t like it being referred to as a hybrid, the Volt does have two powerplants; an electric motor and a four-cylinder petrol engine.
The difference between Volt and the Toyota Prius hybrid is that the Volt’s petrol engine never drives the wheels. Rather the engine is there to recharge the batteries when they run low - typically kicking in automatically after about 40 to 70 kilometres of driving.
Volt can also be plugged in and charged from a normal 240-volt, 10-amp powerpoint as used to run your TV, toaster, tech gadgets and dozens of other items. Faster chargers can be installed if required, but the feeling is most owners will rely on overnight charging at home.
The batteries are cleverly hidden within the Volt, running in the centre of the cabin in the area normally occupied by the transmission tunnel in a rear-drive car; as well as under the back seat in the spot where the petrol tank usually sits.
Holden Volt also has a 36-litre petrol tank to fuel the 1.4-litre engine. This engine is adapted from the 1.4 unit seen in several other GM models, including the Holden Cruze. A new engine designed specifically to act as an electric generator will come later. It will use even less fuel as it will be designed to operate only in very specific conditions. This engine may be fuelled by petrol, diesel, hydrogen, LPG, or even be a small gas turbine, final decisions have yet to be made.
Many owners of the Volt in the US say they never use the petrol engine as their daily trips are well within the reach offered by the batteries. According to General Motors something like 95 per cent of drivers will never use petrol.
Which brings up the point that these Volts are carrying unnecessary weight in the form a petrol engine that’s never being used. Chevrolet has no plans to produce a Volt without the extra engine as ‘range anxiety’ would be suffered by drivers using an EV that won’t be able to travel more than about 80 km.
Even if it’s not needed, the petrol engine automatically starts ever six weeks to lubricate itself and to burn off fuel that would otherwise become stale.
By far the biggest advantage of the Volt is that it can be used for every purpose – there’s no need to have a second car for long distance trips. Fill your Volt with electricity and petrol and it can travel about 500 kilometres, when it gets close to empty on a trip, simply refill the petrol tank and you will then have a range of about 420 to 450 kilometres.
Holden put its money where its mouth is by driving the three Volts that starred at the media event from Melbourne to Sydney.
Our initial test drive of the Holden Volt was unfortunately all too brief – and was inside (yes, inside!) a very large shed at the old railway workshops in Redfern, just west of Sydney.
Like all the electric cars we have driven the Volt impressed with its immediate strong acceleration and quietness. The Holden EV felt well balanced and comfortable – another advantage of an electric car is that the batteries sit low down in the centre of the vehicle giving the sort of centre of gravity and front/rear balance normally only felt in a rear-drive sports coupe. Obviously we will need to wait for a conventional road test to fully comment.
The Holden Volt only has seating for four, with all occupants travelling in individual seats. This could prove a drawback in a car competing in the family hatchback market and is due to the space down the centre of the car being occupied by the batteries. Headroom in the rear seats may prove tight for some people due to the downslope of the roof to aid aerodynamic penetration.
New technology can result in unexpected problems. A Chevrolet Volt used for crash testing in the USA caught fire several weeks after the test. It was found that this was due to leakage from its lithium-ion batteries. The investigation that followed has led to crash rescue and other safety authorities being given instructions on how to deal with the vehicle after a crash. It’s also likely that Chevrolet will modify the vehicle’s design, and will make changes to cars that have already been sold. Naturally, all Holden Volts will be of the improved type.
Holden will import Volts to Australia from late 2012. Prices and equipment details are yet to be finalised. Expect the car to be what Holden calls “Premium priced”, which probably means the early adopters will be expected to pay $50,000 upwards.
The ongoing problem of Australian electricity generation being amongst the world’s dirtiest continues rears its ugly head. General Motors Holden is pleased with the efforts being made to improve the situation. Of course, clean electricity is the responsibility of governments, not car makers.
We can’t wait to sample Holden Volts in real driving conditions on Australian roads... |
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