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The ACDC VOLT (so far)
As far as we know the ACDC Chevy VOLT was the first one sold (not leased) to a Massachusetts resident. It was purchased in NY. This is a great car for anyone that wants to pollute less, drill less oil wells, help with national security and secure our energy future. Yes, a car like the VOLT can do that.
So what is up with the Lithium battery pack? No one knows for sure as it is so new, but Chevy has gone out of their way to keep the customers happy. I love the car.
One thing that keeps the owners informed is 5 years of On-Star. This is 24/7 live people in Detroit that know the car and will answer any question you have by pushing a button in the car.
As of today the VOLT has almost 14,000 miles (22,500 km) so far (5,000 miles / 8,050 km) in EV mode. It has a new right rear door and paint work when a deer ran head on into the side of the car while driving. A few re-flashed to update software and the curb damage on the right front rim. The deer did not cause a fire.
Why is the Chevrolet Volt so misunderstood?
The Chevrolet VOLT is one of the most misunderstood cars I have ever owned or experienced. How does ACDC describe the car? Well GM calls the Volt an extended-range electric vehicle. It's not a hybrid, or a Pure EV. The "Voltec Electric Drive System" is much more complex than a simple battery-electric vehicle, and, like a series-parallel full hybrid, has multiple drive modes.
So yes, the Volt's powertrain is complex, and it's not a pure electric vehicle once the Li-ion battery is low on SOC. The VOLT has a major advantage over a pure EV (LEAF): when the battery pack's charge level reaches minimum in an EV, you are at a charging station. When the same thing happens in a Volt, you may not even notice, as you are still driving.
 The Battery Pack
The Volt's battery pack is made of Lithium. It is liquid cooled and warmed as well. It is fully charged by being plugged into an external source of electricity and will be recharged in 12 hours connected to a regular 120-volt outlet. A 240-volt supply system is available (ACDC has two of them), and that cuts charge time to four hours or so. Yes, charging time can vary, in fact most everything on the VOLT can vary.
Although not apparent from outside the car -- or from the passenger cabin -- the battery pack and other drivetrain components have their own liquid climate-control systems to keep them at optimum operating temperatures. Batteries don't work well in cold temperatures and here is where the story gets involved. It is advised to keep them plugged in when not driving as the battery likes to stay at 70 degrees F (21 C).
The FIRE
The NHTSA story about a VOLT fire from the Huffington Post:
"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said a Volt battery pack that was being monitored caught fire on Thursday, a week after it was hit in a side-impact crash test. The agency said another battery that was crash-tested recently gave off smoke and sparks. The latest fires are in addition to a battery fire at a test facility in Wisconsin back in June.
The Volt, which can travel about 35 miles on electric power before a small gasoline generator kicks in to run the car, has helped Chevrolet's public image, and GM is eager to protect that good will. The company has promoted the car extensively as a first step toward independence from foreign oil, and the Volt has helped counter a gas-guzzling image left over from years of GM selling mainly pickup trucks and inefficient sport utility vehicles.
Mary Barra, GM's senior vice president of product development, said both fires reported by NHTSA occurred seven days to three weeks after the crash tests, and could have been prevented if the battery charge had been drained as GM has called for in its post-crash procedures.
She said only a few Volts have crashed on public roads. None have caught fire, nor have the battery packs been compromised".
An E Mail exchange between ACDC and another trainer
"Not surprising, assuming if you crash the car well ABOVE the normal side impact levels specifically in order to attempt to damage the battery. (what NHTSA apparently did) NHTSA testing had already awarded the Volt with a 5-star crash rating for frontal and side impacts. The battery in THOSE tests was unharmed. Then, additional side impacts of much higher speed and delta-V is what generated the battery damage that resulted in the fire. (after a prolonged period of storage over which a "contamination" with the battery coolant and other materials took place. With all that energy just "sitting" there shorting out, it's not surprising it could start to smolder. GM as well as a consortium of other manufacturers and stakeholders are working with NHTSA to develop protocols for discharging batteries after a wreck to prevent future accidental discharge and reduce fire risk. Something that certainly needs to be dealt with as more batteries find their way to wrecking yards.
As far as the two garage fires that involved Volts, fire investigators has already cleared the Volt or it's charging infrastructure as NOT being the root cause of those events
The ACDC Slant on it.
Midtronics (an ACDC customer) showed a new piece of equipment at AAPEX that will (among other things) drain the energy from any NiMH or Lithium battery pack. It is not on the market yet.
A question about software I have not resolved. I asked this question to my GM sources "Do you know if after the crash the 12 volt battery cables were double cut?" I have not received an answer. I ask because that is a standard procedure at the scene of an accident after a hard hit. I also ask because my understanding is that when ambient temperatures are low, timers in the computers will use the HV battery to power the 12 volt heater to keep itself warm until the HV battery is at 50% SOC, even when it is not plugged into a charger (EVSE). Did I get this correct information? I have had conflicting information from the technical contacts I have at GM. If it works this way then here is one more plausible theory.
Weeks after the VOLT was hit (no coolant in the battery) the 12 volt battery (still connected) was still providing power to the on board computers. As deigned they kept tabs on the ambient temperature vs. the battery temperature. At the moment it cooled down enough outside the 12 volt pump, heater and the rest went to work to warm up the damaged battery. Current is now flowing out of the HV battery as the contactors are closed and the 12 volt system (through the DC-DC converter) is powering the pumps (yes, I know the coolant is empty) and trying to do its job. Did someone yell FIRE!!
If this proves to be the case, it points a finger back at the NHTSA.
Did you know that there are over 5,000 fires at gas stations every year in the U.S.A. along with over 100,000 car fires related to fuel? Look like cars are dangerous.
A Part of the New ACDC 2012 EV book
This new adventure for ACDC and the VOLT truly is in a league of its own. When I was in Detroit in January of 2007, over four years ago, GM rolled out the VOLT concept car and made a proclamation that this car would be on sale by the end of the decade. I was a huge skeptic. I never had a lot of respect for GM, my father was a Ford man and GM had been making cars and trucks for years that were the butt of many jokes, so why believe them now? Then the bailout, like most self-employed people really made me mad, both at our government and at GM for getting themselves in this mess to begin with. Even trying to buy a VOLT was frustrating as the Connecticut dealer wanted a premium over sticker. But as all long sagas sometimes end this one has had a happy ending so far, but can GM change my mind? That would be a small miracle as even though I am driving a VOLT I am just waiting for it to break down. It will take a lot to convince me that GM has built a truly great car, one that was worth the 44k plus, is made to last and hold it value. That is a lot to ask a Honda loyalist since 1968 as they have a lot to overcome. Will I sing GMs praises if they succeed? I did become a Ford fan over the last 5 years, since Alan Mulally and his team took Ford in a new direction. I can recommend a Ford Fusion or Escape Hybrid anytime and not worry about a disappointed driver. Come on GM make a believer out of me. I am ready to be converted.
More VOLT information on our web site at http://www.auto-careers.org/Volt.html
Up Your Voltage!,
Craig Van Batenburg, CEO ACDC
508 852 5857
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