Chevrolet Volt MPV5 Electric Concept
GM has showcased a few variations of the Chevrolet Volt before - the Opel Ampera, the gorgeous Cadillac Converj concept, and the sporty Opel Flextreme GT/E among them - and now family-friendly extended-range hybrid formula. The Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept, debuting at the 2010 Beijing auto show, is a five-passenger MPV that uses the Volt’s platform and extended-range powertrain technology.
As such, the Volt MPV5 packs a 16-kWh T-shaped lithium-ion battery pack that feeds a 150-hp, 370-lb-ft electric motor. Like in the Volt sedan, the electric motor provides all the propulsion; the 1.4-liter gasoline engine onboard exists solely to generate electricity once the batteries are depleted. Chevrolet says the MPV5’s all-electric range is 32 miles, down 8 miles from the regular Volt’s, while the range with the gas engine humming away is identical, at 300 miles. Charging time on a regular 120-volt household outlet is quoted as taking “over eight hours,” while a 240-volt hookup will charge the MPV5 in “about four.” The vanlet is said to top out at 100 mph, no doubt after a thrilling five-minute mosey.
The MPV5 may not cause blood rush as the Converj or Flextreme GT/E, but it’s more of mainstream-oriented variant that could allow GM to recoup its Volt powertrain investment sometime before the earth cools to a ball of over-polluted ice. Expect to see this, or something very similar, on the world’s roads not too long after the Volt sedan goes into production later this year.
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