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In fact, there’s some indication that 12-volt batteries in the Chevy Bolt and other EVs may actually have a shorter lifespan than those in internal combustion engine (ICE) cars. Does the Chevrolet Bolt 12-Volt Battery Need Replacing?
2018 CHEVY VOLT BATTERY SIZE HOW TO
When there is no need for a different system currently, and not even an increase in voltage from that system, the question naturally arises for an OEM: Why bother with a brand-new electrical system? The 12-volt battery will still work, it’s still sufficient in strength and best of all the OEMs know exactly how to connect it up to all their latest gadgetry. It’s like the one solitary friend who is accompanying them through this huge mechanical upheaval. Even as many of them make their first foray into the world of EVs, one little bit of familiarity they can cling onto is the 12-volt power system connected to that battery. The fact is that OEMs around the world have agreed-upon standards when it comes to 12-volt batteries and related systems. With technology moving on so much and so far in the electric car, why haven’t OEMs tried to create an alternative, perhaps simpler and more cutting-edge power supply to use instead of the tried-and-tested 12-volt battery? Well, part of the answer lies in that description: Tried and Tested Therefore, the humble 12-volt power unit continues to endure, and is used for all manner of electrical functions: Where you don’t want that kind of power surging, however, is through your more basic on-board electrical systems. It’s there to give the Chevrolet Bolt that jolt it needs to go from 0 to 60 in just 6.7 seconds, which an ICE car of the Bolt style would simply not be able to achieve without significant modifications. In that sense, your main battery pack may as well as be a solidified block of gasoline. Well, the almighty surge of power from the lithium-ion battery pack is meant for one thing, and that’s propelling the car forward. Even the ECUs are typically powered by the 12-volt battery unit. The Nissan Leaf cabin infotainment nav touch screen areaīelieve it or not, your main lithium-ion battery is not the thing that directly powers your EVs electrics like the infotainment screen, digital instrument display, stereo and other electronic features. Where does that spark come from? The 12-volt unit! On-Board Electrical Systems When it’s powered off, and if you want to power it back up again and get the electrical energy flowing from the battery to the electric motors, then that contactor needs a spark of power. The contactor is essentially just a coil electromagnet that acts as a relay. The contactor would shut off, preventing fires, and also preventing shocks to rescue workers working their way through the car to get to you. This acts as a life-saving feature in the event, for instance, that you and your Bolt get into an accident on the road. Therefore, EVs are typically designed with a contractor that shuts off main battery power, isolating it from the rest of the vehicle. On top of that, battery fires and other terrible results are all possible. If someone were working on the car with the power active, then they could receive a deadly shock as they do. The power supply in those lithium-ion battery packs is pretty huge. For example, a battery rated at 100 kWh will need 12.5 hours to recharge fully using an 8.0-kW charger.Demounted battery from electric car Nissan Leaf. Given those assumptions, the value provided is simply the battery's capacity divided by the onboard charger's power rating.
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2018 CHEVY VOLT BATTERY SIZE FULL
Unlike mpg, however, where a larger number is better (for example, a vehicle that gets 30 mpg is better than one that gets 20 mpg), a smaller number is better in kWh/100 miles because you are using less battery energy per mile.ĮPA time to charge battery (at 240V) This can be tough to pin down, but we assume for simplicity that the 240V power source will enable the vehicle's onboard charger to operate at full capacity, and that the battery is fully depleted and will be recharged to 100%. Combined MPGe is the combined total of 45% city MPGe + 55% highway MPGe.ĮPA electricity range This value is the estimated number of miles that a vehicle can travel in combined city and highway driving (using a mix of 55% highway and 45% city driving) before needing to be recharged, according to the EPA's testing methodology.ĮPA kWh/100 mi This value tells you how much energy in kilowatt-hours a vehicle would use to travel 100 miles.
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Just like regular MPG shows how far a car will travel on one gallon of gas, MPGe shows how far a vehicle will drive on 33.7kWh of electricity - the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. EPA combined MPGe MPGe is the official metric that the EPA uses to measure the efficiency of alternative-fuel (including electric) vehicles.
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