Chevrolet Cracks Open the Bolt, Shares Drivetrain Details
What’s evident from the newly released details is that the Bolt packs a punch, confirming the power we saw at CES when we hit the track with the Bolt. Under the hood, the 150 kilowatt motor blows off the line with the 360 Nm of torque punching passengers into their seats. At 1,750 kgs, the Bolt is no lightweight, but it is still expected to pull a sub-7.0 second 0-to-60 mph run, which is not bad for a small crossover with a 60 kWh battery pack in tow.
About that battery pack, the 60 kWh lithium-ion battery pack contains:
- 288 lithium-ion cells
- 5 sections
- 10 modules
- 96 cell groups – 3 cells per group
- 960 lbs. (435 kg) total weight
GM is proud of the new pack as the manager of the Bolt EV battery pack engineering group, Gregory Smith related:
“You usually have a battery cell that delivers either the desired levels of energy or power, but not traditionally both. With this cell design and chemistry we were able to deliver a battery system with 160 kilowatts of peak power and 60 kilowatts hours of energy.”
The battery is in what now seems to be the standard skateboard layout, with the batteries arranged in a flat plank across the bottom of the car. This is ideal for handling, as it located the dense batteries and the large 435 kg battery array at the lowest point of the car, stabilizing the car around turns and curves in the road.
The cells in the Bolt have a new arrangement and a new chemistry vs other GM production vehicles, making use of a nickel-rich lithium-ion chemistry that offers improved thermal operating performance compared to other lithium-ion chemistries, resulting in a smaller cooling system.
This is a clear indication that GM and Chevy don’t completely understand EVs. At this rate, the Bolt would need almost 2 hours to fully charge on a DC Fast Charger at a cost of around $30 bucks (based on $9.95/30 minute charge at NRG evGO DC Fast Charging stations). This might not seem like a major barrier, but having just driven 4,180 kilometers across the US in my Model S, this would be an insurmountable barrier for long-range travel. Yes, the range is an improvement, but those charging rates need some serious attention to fully crack the EV nut.
Getting into the Bolt, Chevrolet has integrated a new regenerative braking system that, similar to the BMW i3, allows for one-pedal driving. This not only boosts the range of the vehicle by translating the kinetic energy of the moving vehicle back into the battery, but also transforms the driving experience. One-pedal driving changes the feel of driving around town and on highways, offering a simplified driving experience that can all be managed with just the accelerator pedal.
The Bolt takes one-pedal driving to the next level with the capability to bring the vehicle to a complete stop without having to use the brake pedal in certain conditions. This brings up another question — will the use of strong regenerative braking trigger the brake lights? Should it? We will dig into this more in a future article, but until then, jump down to the comments to let us know what you think.
In addition to advanced one-pedal driving, the Bolt has a “Regen on Demand” paddle on the back of the steering wheel that gives the driver one more lever to pull to engage extreme regen. GM is careful to note that the new regen features do not obviate the need to use the brake pedal, but that it does have the ability to bring the car to a complete stop by itself.
GM has really built an exciting long-range EV with the Bolt, which looks to be a strong competitor in its class. Check out the preliminary specs from the press release below.
All images and videos by Chevrolet.
Overview
|
|
Rear : 1131.4 |
Exterior
Interior
| 39.7 / 1009 1st row 37.9 / 962 2nd row | |
| Shoulder room (in / mm): | 54.6 / 1387 1st row 52.8 / 1340 2nd row |
| Hip room (in / mm): | 51.6 / 1310 1st row 50.8 / 290 2nd row |
| Legroom (in / mm): | 41.6 / 1056 1st row 36.5 / 927 2nd row |
| Cargo volume (cu ft / L): | 16.9 cu-ft / 478 L (V10, Wagon CVI – Max behind rear seat) |
| Passenger volume (cu ft / L): | PV1 52.2 cu-ft / 1478 L 1st row PV2 42.2 cu-ft / 1195 L 2nd row |
Capacities
| 3580 lb / 1625kg based on target (w/o 2passengers) | |
| Heating cooling (qt / L): | |
| Battery pack cooling (qt / L): | 6.9L (RESS cooling loop total coolant volume) |
| Power electronics cooling (qt / L): | 3.9L (PE & DU cooling loop total coolant volume) |
| Drive unit fluid (qt / L): | 2.9L |
Note: Information shown is current at time of publication.
2017 Chevrolet Bolt Propulsion Overview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erVHuXJLR3c
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