Page 268 - Design for Environment A Guide to Sustainable Product Development

244 Cha pte r T w e l v e

station for many commuters, as well as greatly reduce CO emissions.
2
A production version of the Volt is due in showrooms by 2010.
The foundation for GM’s electrically driven vehicles is the new
Voltec electric propulsion technology. The Voltec system can produce
electricity using a generator powered by an internal combustion
engine, which can be operated with a variety of fuels, including gaso-
line, diesel and ethanol. It can produce electricity using a generator
powered by an internal combustion engine, which can be operated
with a variety of fuels including gasoline, diesel, and ethanol. Or, it
can generate electricity using a hydrogen fuel cell. Finally, it can oper-
ate on electricity that was stored in a battery when the car was plugged
into the utility grid.
The Voltec electric propulsion system enables energy diversity
because electricity and hydrogen can be generated from a wide range
of energy sources. This allows GM to tailor the propulsion system to
meet the specific needs and infrastructure of a given market. The elec-
trification of the vehicle also enables the creation of a new automotive
DNA, which exchanges the internal combustion engine for electric
propulsion, petroleum for electricity, and mechanical linkages for
electrical and electronic controls.
The Chevrolet Volt is a front-wheel drive, four-passenge Extended
Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV) that uses electricity as its primary energy
source and gasoline as its secondary energy source for propelling the
vehicle. Energy is stored in a "T"-shaped lithium-ion battery pack.
The battery pack powers the electric drive motor, which will propel the
vehicle electrically for up to 40 miles without using a drop of gas.
For longer trips, the Volt’s on-board range-extending engine is used
to drive an electric generator when the battery’s energy has been
depleted. The range extender, which can be powered by gas or E85
Ethanol, is able to generate additional electricity to power the car for
hundreds of miles.
More than 75 percent of drivers in the United States commute
fewer than 40 miles a day. For these drivers, a fully charged Chevy
Volt will use no gasoline and produce no tailpipe emissions. The
Chevy Volt is easily recharged by plugging it into a common 110-volt
or 220-volt electrical outlet. At 10 cents per kilowatt hour, GM esti-
mates that the cost of an electrically driven mile in a Chevy Volt is
about one-fourth that of a conventional vehicle, assuming a gasoline
price of $2.40 per gallon. That amounts to a reduction in running
costs, including the cost of electricity, of about $1,200 per year for an
average driver. At a cost of about 80 cents for a full charge that will
deliver up to 40 miles of driving, the Volt will be less expensive to
drive for most owners than purchasing a daily cup of coffee.

By-Product Management: No More Landfilling
In addition to vehicle design, GM has been introducing DFE princi-
ples into its production and supply chain processes. One example is