Hi, I found this article on Hybrid Cars and wanted to share it on the GM Bolt Forum.
It's titled "What We Know About The Chevy Bolt"
Article Source: http://www.hybridcars.com/what-we-know-about-the-chevy-bolt/
It's titled "What We Know About The Chevy Bolt"
The Bolt concept was a joint effort between GM Australia, GM Korea and GM North America.
Actual construction was at GM Australia’s Port Melbourne-based design studio.
GM’s Aussie location was one of only two GM design workshops in the world said to be capable of doing the job and what it turned out bears not a little similarity to the BMW i3, but is to cost $5,000 less and offer 2.5 times the range.
“The Bolt EV concept is a game-changing electric vehicle designed for attainability, not exclusivity,” said General Motors CEO Mary Barra. “Chevrolet believes electrification is a pillar of future transportation and needs to be affordable for a wider segment of customers.”
Powertrain?
General Motors has said almost nothing definitive on actual powertrain hardware.
GM says only that it will leverage lessons learned from the Volt and Spark EV for the Bolt intended as a global EV sold in 50 U.S. states.
But just because GM is playing its hand close to its vest doesn’t mean intrepid EV sleuths have not been working overtime speculating.
Anything is possible, but some of the believed-reasonable guesses include that GM will find a new use for the underworked Spark EV motor with single-speed coaxial gear box and adapt it to the Bolt.
The Bolt’s battery of unspecified kilowatt-hour capacity is believed to be coming from LG Chem, and may be a newer generation chemistry though this isn’t confirmed.
GM has hinted the Spark EV’s motor was meant from the start for more applications, and a truck-like 400 pounds-feet of torque in the subcompact is an unsubtle hint.
Given cars like the Model 3 will be out there, the Bolt needs to live up to its debatable name that rhymes with Volt and the Spark’s motor or one based on it with around 200 horsepower (150 kw) ought to be suitable for respectable 0-60 and 0-30 times.
The Spark EV is good for around 7.2 seconds to 60, and is really zippy to 30 with “instant torque” so the Bolt may also bolt in qualified terms.
One educated guess comes from Silicon Valley software developer Jeff Nisewanger who co-wrote for us what may be the best deep dive into the 2016 Volt’s drive unit and who likes to look up arcane patents and read engineering papers for fun.
Curb weight might be in the realm of 3,700-4,000 pounds he hypothesized. A Nissan Leaf with 24-kwh pack comes in at 3,300 pounds including a 600-pound battery. To do an honest-to-goodness 200 miles EPA-rated range, the Bolt may need 55-60 kwh and that pack could weigh 1,000-1,200 pounds, so do the math.
Because the car will be heavier, more weight will require a stronger vehicle structure meaning bigger wheels, tires, heavier suspension, and more driving up the weight.
But, GM may use some weight-loss tricks learned with higher strength steel, aluminum, and various other materials such as were used in the Cadillac CT6.
To make this a more versatile EV, quick charging will be desirable. The 82-mile rated Spark EV charges at a lower maximum DC charge rate of 30-50 kilowatts and the Bolt could benefit from quicker capability. Tesla equips its Supercharger-enabled cars with up to 135-kw capability, and larger battery kwh sizes are capable of higher charging rates and need them to make long distance charging reasonable.
Nisewanger postulates the Bolt battery will have a max charging rate of around 80 kilowatts, but this like other conjecture remains to be proven.
Functional
The automotive term in vogue for the Bolt’s body style is “crossover” but you might also just as well say the Bolt will be a hatchback, a box on wheels stylized to look trendy, and with coolness baked in given this EV will be atop its game.
Lots of interior room is gained with very little front and rear overhang a la BMW i3, and gone is any prospect of a giant bulky battery or T-Shape like the Volt has intruding into interior space.
Rather, the Bolt’s battery is to be a flat below-floor design such as other purpose-built EVs employ meaning no middle hump and flexibility for designers to make this a comfortable car possibly even with a three-across rear seat. Although five passengers is not officially verified, GM VP Mark Reuss did mention in a video to reporters in January the flat battery allows “five passengers and utility” space, which the automaker has otherwise pointed out.
“Form and function have never meshed so well together,” said Ed Welburn, vice president, GM Global Design. “No compromises were made when it came to aesthetics and the elements that contribute to the Bolt EV concept’s range, resulting in a unique proportion that’s sleek, efficient and obviously a Chevrolet.”
Unknown for the production Bolt is what specific materials will be used. The concept employs lightweight aluminum, magnesium, carbon fiber and woven mesh. The futuristic and airy design exercise also has impractical elements like pedestal seats that almost certainly won’t make it to production.
What may make it to production is the latest suite of connected infotainment accessible via smartphone – including for things like setting and monitoring charging and pre-warming remotely.
Bolt_info
We expect some of the swanky design elements will be toned down, but Chevrolet will do its level best at making the car seem as upscale as possible.
Functionally, the vehicle will likely be well contented for a Chevy like the Volt is as GM is discovering higher socionomic strata are attracted to its plug-in cars.
Due When?
Reported insider claims have set it in the public minds’ eye that the production date is to start October or November 2016 and the Bolt will be a 2017 model year car.
We have heard it from people who should know better this is a date certain projection from the lips of GM, but actually it is not.
When we asked Chevrolet communications rep Annalisa Esposito Bluhm last week whether we’d missed a press announcement or this was rumor being passed off as fact, her answer was the latter.
“Rumor being passed as fact,” she said. “We have not yet publicly confirmed Bolt EV timing or the model year. Stay tuned.”
GM may come along and confirm everyone’s suspicions but like many details it’s holding out for now.
Even the name – Bolt – was at first unsettled and then contested. GM has twice had its trademark application suspended and had to negotiate with Yamaha and contend with the fact that another company wanted the name “Bolt” for a product.
The name is back on track. Some like it, some don’t, some don’t care.
Most importantly is the Bolt is pending and already threatens to sap customers from the Volt which is like a gateway drug to pure EVs and the Bolt with decreased “range anxiety” could be the fix they’ve been waiting for.
It also raises the bar for EVs and threatens to send other automakers back to their CAD-CAM programs.
While newly launched 80-90-mile EVs from Kia, Fiat, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and others are just gaining traction, they could look like yesterday’s goods as soon as next year when the Bolt EV doubles the range for the same price or less.
Article Source: http://www.hybridcars.com/what-we-know-about-the-chevy-bolt/
