January 2007 (Medialink) -- The concept car, called the Chevrolet Volt, is a battery-powered electric vehicle that uses a gas engine to create additional electricity, thereby extending its range.
The Volt can be fully charged by plugging it into a 110-volt outlet for approximately six hours each day. When the lithium-ion battery is fully charged, the Volt can deliver 40 city miles of pure electric vehicle range. When the battery is depleted, a one liter, three cylinder turbo charged engine spins at a constant speed, or revolutions per minute (rpm), to create electricity and replenish the battery.
The Chevrolet Volt is just the first of what General Motors is calling the "E-flex system." The Volt uses a large battery and a small one liter turbo gasoline engine to produce enough electricity to go up to 640 miles and provide triple-digit fuel economy. These multiple propulsion systems fit into a common chassis using electricity to help the world diversify energy sources. With this new E-flex concept, General Motors can produce electricity from gasoline, ethanol, bio-diesel, or hydrogen.
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