GM rethinks electrics on board the Volt

摘要

General Motors is revising the electrical devices that will go into its forthcoming plug-in hybrid. Around 30 per cent of the Volt's systems will be designed afresh to reduce the load on the electric powertrain - some will even feed power back into the battery.rnThe challenge in developing an electric vehicle is not just battery life and all-weather durability. GM's engineers must also integrate the sat-nav, climate control, stereos and other luxuries buyers expect, but which can drain the battery andrncompromise the car's range.rnGM's Volt line director, Tony Posawatz, said: "You only have so much energy on board the vehicle so getting the ancillaries right is very important. You have to effectively manage every single watt and amp."rnPosawatz's team is paying particular attention to the sound system: "We've brought on board a supplier that is designing a low-consumption premium sound system that generates electricity from the vibration of the speakers and feeds it back into the car," he said.