How the Chevrolet Volt Works
At its root, Mountain Mode is meant to force the Volt to switch from 100% battery-powered
mode to charge-sustaining mode (where the engine is burning gas to generate electricity, and
sometimes even powering the wheels directly—basically acting as a hybrid) long before the
battery is fully drained. GM engineers have said this is to preserve battery power to help get
the car up steep slopes with an assist from the electric motors—hence the name "Mountain
Mode." In contrast, in both Normal and Sport modes, the car will use up every last drop of
stored battery power it can before switching to charge-sustaining mode.
How does it Work?
First, estimate how much low speed driving you'll do at your destination—we're talking
rough ball-park. Assume the Volt has about 30 miles of all-electric driving range at low
speeds. Once you use up the battery charge to the point where you have only a few more
miles left in the battery than you'll need to drive as an all-electric car at your destination,
switch the Volt from Normal Mode to Mountain Mode. Within a few miles the car will switch
over to charge sustaining mode, leaving your battery loaded with electrons. When you
get to your destination, simply switch it back to Normal Mode and the car will return to
all-electric driving.
http://www.plugincars.com/chevy-volts-mountain-mode-vastly-underrated-yields-new-
driving-strategies-107176.html
February 29, 2012 update
1. I bought a Lexus RX400h which currently has two recalls pending. It uses a Nickel Metal
Hydride battery with a low watt-hour per kilogram power density.
2. I bought a Volt with only one recall pending right now. It uses a Lithium ion battery.
So far we have:
Lexus RX400h battery specific energy 100 Watt-Hour per kilogram
Volt Lithium ion battery specific energy 200 Watt-hour per kilogram
Now Envia has announced a Lithium ion battery with 400 Watt-hours per kilogram.
Envia Systems, the Bay Area startup has the ability to deliver energy at a cost of $125 per
kilowatt-hour. That is about half of current prices. They got most of their funding from venture
capitalists. Only 4 million from ARPA Energy. The guys that need hundreds of millions have
political connections and ideas that are perhaps not as worthy as Envia's.
Envia's engineers developed the technology from scratch. After testing the battery in-house,
additional testing was performed by the Electrochemical Power Systems Department at the
Naval Surface Warfare Center in Indiana. The company is now in discussion with auto
manufacturers.
I am picturing that "run silent, run deep" is about to get an upgrade even though it was the
Naval Surface Center that tested it.
Next
At its root, Mountain Mode is meant to force the Volt to switch from 100% battery-powered
mode to charge-sustaining mode (where the engine is burning gas to generate electricity, and
sometimes even powering the wheels directly—basically acting as a hybrid) long before the
battery is fully drained. GM engineers have said this is to preserve battery power to help get
the car up steep slopes with an assist from the electric motors—hence the name "Mountain
Mode." In contrast, in both Normal and Sport modes, the car will use up every last drop of
stored battery power it can before switching to charge-sustaining mode.
How does it Work?
First, estimate how much low speed driving you'll do at your destination—we're talking
rough ball-park. Assume the Volt has about 30 miles of all-electric driving range at low
speeds. Once you use up the battery charge to the point where you have only a few more
miles left in the battery than you'll need to drive as an all-electric car at your destination,
switch the Volt from Normal Mode to Mountain Mode. Within a few miles the car will switch
over to charge sustaining mode, leaving your battery loaded with electrons. When you
get to your destination, simply switch it back to Normal Mode and the car will return to
all-electric driving.
http://www.plugincars.com/chevy-volts-mountain-mode-vastly-underrated-yields-new-
driving-strategies-107176.html
February 29, 2012 update
1. I bought a Lexus RX400h which currently has two recalls pending. It uses a Nickel Metal
Hydride battery with a low watt-hour per kilogram power density.
2. I bought a Volt with only one recall pending right now. It uses a Lithium ion battery.
So far we have:
Lexus RX400h battery specific energy 100 Watt-Hour per kilogram
Volt Lithium ion battery specific energy 200 Watt-hour per kilogram
Now Envia has announced a Lithium ion battery with 400 Watt-hours per kilogram.
Envia Systems, the Bay Area startup has the ability to deliver energy at a cost of $125 per
kilowatt-hour. That is about half of current prices. They got most of their funding from venture
capitalists. Only 4 million from ARPA Energy. The guys that need hundreds of millions have
political connections and ideas that are perhaps not as worthy as Envia's.
Envia's engineers developed the technology from scratch. After testing the battery in-house,
additional testing was performed by the Electrochemical Power Systems Department at the
Naval Surface Warfare Center in Indiana. The company is now in discussion with auto
manufacturers.
I am picturing that "run silent, run deep" is about to get an upgrade even though it was the
Naval Surface Center that tested it.
Next
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