Drove a leaf today

I think you are refering to this article:

since most PriusChat members use "hybrid mode" to mean "power split mode" it would be worth noting that the Volt doesn't go into power split mode until about 70mph in CS mode.


Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/alternative/1010_2011_chevrolet_volt_test/viewall.html#ixzz2H7cMc7ir

 

So, you agree that Volt does not have full performance in EV mode.

 

If by "full performance" you mean it can accelerate to 100 mph in EV, then I would say it has full perfomance in EV mode.

 

Nope. Top speed has nothing to do with full performance. It is the power, acceleration and cabin heating capability.

Volt top speed is capped at 100mph. It is the slowest of any PHEV of any size. I think it was done to help with EREV marketing - to convence people that Volt is an EV.

 

The Volt in EV has more torque/HP than the prius PHV with its engine. If you want to say the Volt in EV is not full performance, then the PHV is never full performance.

I interpret "full performance" in the sense that the car performs "fully" without the ICE.. there are no missing features, no limits on speed. It has normal vehicle levels of power, acceleration, heating, etc.. Full performance does not mean it must be the most powerful mode, nor the most powerful car on the road.

You have no basis for your idea "why" it was done.. Could just as easily be to protect gearing/motors or even to leave room for the planned ELR to have higher top end performance..

 

I'm pretty sure that the Volt uses power and acceleration to reach 100mph in EV mode. Maybe not so much cabin heating.

 

Motortrend may have confused a Prius PHV with the Prius.

Toyota Prius - 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid Review - Car and Driver

It’s Unofficial: LEAF 0-60 in 7 seconds, Top Speed of 94 mph

The Leaf at 7 seconds.
The PiP at 11.3 seconds.
The Volt at 8.8 seconds.

 

Oh god this conversation again.
What does this have to do with a leaf?

 

Just making corrections as appropriate.

 

What is the point of comparing to other cars? Volt has to compare to itself. Otherwise, I can pick Karma and say Volt doesn't have full performance.

 

The definition of EREV from http://media.gm.com/content/dam/Media/microsites/product/volt/docs/paper.pdf s
"A vehicle that functions as a full-performance battery electric vehicle when energy is available from an onboard RESS and having an auxiliary energy supply that is only engaged when the RESS energy is not available."

It says functions as "a" full-performance battery electric.. it does not say the vehicle has maximum performance in electric mode.

That same paper includes statements like "The EV1 was a full performance Battery
Electric Vehicle (BEV) with a complete set of vehicle electrification technologies [3]. "

Clearly since the EV1 was only EV, the don't mean it had its maximum performance in EV. What they clearly mean is that it functions like a vehicle with the full range of performance normall associated with a car (not a golf-cart), but not necessarily a top sports car either.


One cannot just comare to the vehicles limits, or a golf-car would be a full performance.


Having full-performance EV, like the Leaf or Volt, Its why its fun to drive. In PHEVs like the Prius PHV, its less fun as if try to have fun, you can get ICEd ;-(

 

So Volt does not meet that definition because aux energy supply (gas) is used before RESS (battery) energy ran out in Hold or Mountain mode. In very cold temp, gas engine also runs to warm up the battery. Those are 2 exceptions and I only need to show one.

The best way I can describe Volt is, a plugin hybrid with EV-like driving performance most of the time.

"Most of the time" depends on one's driving condition and charging pattern. PiP is more EV-like than HV-like for me because about 80‰ of my trips are done in EV.

 

EREV is not an engineering term. It is simply a marketing term. SAE and EPA both classified Volt as plugin hybrid.

Sure, there are differences in PHEVs but when you start calling it an EV, it may sound better but you crossed the line.

Leaf is an EV. It does not have a tailpipe or gas engine. That's a correction for you.

 

Where have I said anything other than that the Leaf is an EV ? What are you claiming is your correction ?

Is this when you start talking about ghg and coal fired grids and wind turbines don't help ....

 

As I've pointed out before, EREV is a PENDING SAE term, to be included in the J1715 standard.
It provides a very meaningful subcategory of PHEV, with different needs for testing.

Argonne National lab proposed EREV to be included in next update to SAE J1715, as follows:



EREV isa PHEV isa Electrified Vehicle is-a Road Vehicle.

Leaf isa BEV isa Electrified Vehicle is-a Road Vehicle.