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How exactly does the Chevy Volt work?

Under the floor is a large T-shaped battery pack consisting of 220 individual lithium-ion cells with 16 kW hours of juice. These power a 111 kW electric motor (that's 150 horsepower) that drives the front wheels. The Volt's battery pack is good for about 40 miles in one charge. That doesn't sound like much, but that's where the gasoline engine kicks in. GM didn't give specifics, but the concept had a 1.0-liter gas engine that ran at a constant 1,850 rpm to operate a generator that would simultaneously recharge the batteries and provide power to the electric motor. Drive fewer than 40 miles between charges and you could stay on battery power the whole time.

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Photo Credit: General Motors

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