And it's no sexy Ferrari or muscular Aston Martin. My Chevrolet Volt prototype isn't particularly fast, either: 0-100 km/h in 10 seconds or so, by my estimate, though the final production version might do it in eight seconds if General Motors' engineers get their way.
We'll know more as launch date approaches. GM expects the extended-range electric Volt to go into production this November; it will go on sale in Canada next summer.
This means what we're learning today might change by launch date. What is locked in stone? The car's range.
GM says the Volt will do 64 kilometres on a single charge. When out of juice, you have two choices: plug it in (for three to five hours in a household outlet for a full charge) or let the on-board 1.4-litre, four-cylinder gasoline engine kick in, acting as on on-board generator. The latter will charge the lithium-ion battery pack, not drive the wheels.
Point is, the Volt always runs on battery power. Theoretically, the Volt could run in generator-charging mode for 500-600 kilometres, until the gas tank is dry.
When all is said and done, here's the big number: GM's estimated fuel consumption is 1.0 L/100 km combined. But really, that's something of a guess and perhaps even misleading. GM has argued all along that many people will never use the on-board generator; the battery range is enough to manage most daily commutes.
To be truthful, however, no one really knows what the Volt will do in the real world. Weather, driving conditions, the driver and other variables could and will surely have an impact on range and performance.
In anticipation, the engineering types putting this car together have been dealing with all sorts of challenges, not the least of which is the Volt's accelerated 36-month development schedule. That is, they need to plan, engineer, test, refine and validate a car with all sorts of new systems and software far faster than the car maker's comfort zone. Especially in a car that will have a 10-year/160,000-kilometre powertrain warranty.
But before paying consumers give the green light, they'll want to test how the Volt makes its transition from pure electric power to gasoline generator/extended-range mode. And that's the core event in my Stanley Park test.
The T-shaped battery pack has only about an eight-mile charge, so a couple of loops has the dashboard icon signalling that I've reached the end of the charge. Will I hear and feel the generator engine's four pistons fire up?
No. When the generator engine kicks into charging mode, it's seamless and only the tiniest bit audible. No jarring, no rumbling. The output of 53 kilowatts (about 71 horsepower) is not gaudy by any means, but it's all the Volt needs to start and sustain the battery's minimum charge level – the “extended-range” operating mode.
I'll just point out that the Volt's batteries are not really out of juice, either. Ideally, the battery pack will always retain a 20 to 80 per cent charge. That's the ideal charge band for extending battery life.
What is remarkable to me is that, with the generator fired up and running, even when I bury the accelerator I can barely hear the engine. The so-called “gas pedal” controls only the flow of battery power to the electric drive motor. The pedal has no connection to the generator, which is programmed to run at constant, preset speeds.
I imagine some buyers will need time to get used to this lack of “vroom-vroom” feedback dictated by the right foot. Alas, the Volt's software determines what the engine goes. Engine speeds will rise and fall depending the battery pack's state of charge.
If the Volt is trying to recover its charge quickly, the engine will vroom up. In fact, I hear this once or twice. GM needs to make sure the production car's generator never gets loud and unruly. So far, they seem on track.
More important, Volt engineers seem very close to mastering the Volt's control software to “feather” the transition from nearly silent all-electric mode to charge-sustaining mode – when the generator is operating.
The Volt team lead by vehicle line executive Tony Posawatz also seem to have been successful at taming the electric drive whine common in most EVs. Overall, the car feels solid and planted on the road – as it should, given this compact, four-door hatchback weighs nearly 200 kg more than the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze on which it is based.
GM has included a few tricks to make the Volt interesting and fun. On the dashboard is a Sport button to boost oomph by about 20 hp above everyday Eco mode. It works nicely, offering a flash of extra power for passing and merging.
Yes, the electric steering is not quite as sharp as a good hydraulic system, but GM has months to iron this out. There is minimal body lean in the corners and the low-rolling-resistance Goodyear tires created specifically for the Volt provide more than adequate grip on a very dry and surprisingly warm winter day.
The final production Volt will be ushered in with a whole slew of new features designed to up the “Oh, wow” ante. A remote vehicle-control program (for air conditioning and door unlocking) is planned. Owners will also be able to download and run various applications that will do things like tell the owner the car's state of charge.
Inside, the car has two LCD screens. The one behind the wheel displays speed and information about the battery's state of charge and what's in the fuel tank. A second screen at the top the centre console is touch-sensitive. It controls the radio, air conditioning and many of the car's other functions.
Lower down on the centre console, a green-lighted starter button is at your fingertips. Another button activates two road-handling modes: Eco and Sport. We've told you about Sport already.
The Volt is a compact car with just four seats. It's not hugely roomy inside, but four average-sized adults will fit in just fine. The cargo space in back will house a couple of golf bags. And because there is no spare tire (just a pump in case you get a flat) the space is all available, such as it is.
I like what I've seen and driven, though the expected $40,000 price tag is high. Posawatz says that when incentives are included – $7,500 in the U.S. and perhaps $10,000 in Ontario – the transaction price become more manageable. But he's quick to argue that reduced operating costs of about $1 a charge put the real-world price below the equivalent of a $30,000 traditional gasoline car.
Again, no one knows, yet. What everyone can see is how critical the Volt is for GM's future.
“The Volt is extremely important for GM for a lot of reasons,” Ed Kim, an industry analyst with AutoPacific, told me late last year. “They've promised a lot, and if they don't deliver, their credibility is at risk with consumers who are skeptical in the first place.”
Yes, the pressure is on.
jcato@globeandmail.com
2012 CHEVROLET VOLT
Type: Compact four-door hatchback
Price: $40,000 (estimated)
Gas engine: 1.4-litre, four-cylinder generator
Electric motor: 111-KW
Transmission: CVT
Drive: Front-wheel-drive
Like: No fears about the batteries running out of juice – not with the on-board generator; quiet; seamless transition from pure EV to EV charged by gas generator; very lower operating costs; easy charging from a household socket
Don't like: The expected price tag; extra weight of a gas engine with a fuel tank added to electric drive and battery pack; not overly big inside; unproven technology in the real world
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