【英文原文】

Chevy Volt: A lot of unanswered questions
While General Motors continues to define itself post-bankruptcy, it is pushing ahead with one of its key pre-bankruptcy projects: developing the Chevy Volt.

This week, a team of GM vehicle engineers is testing eight battery-powered Volts on a three-day, 1,200-mile drive from southeast Michigan to Pittsburgh.

The engineers will evaluate everything from the sound system to the seats, but most of their attention will be focused on how the Volt performs under electric and gasoline power.

Lots of questions remain, as I discovered when few a words about the Volt at the end of my last column drew a number of heated responses.

My comments focused on speculation about the performance of the Volt after the batteries discharge and the range-extending gasoline engine kicks in.

Sine the Volt weighs close to 4,000 pounds, according to a knowledgeable source, and the engine only displaces 1.4 liters, some have guessed the Volt would be a slacker under gasoline power.

"Absolutely incorrect," says a GM spokesperson. "There is no degradation in the Volt's performance after the battery has reached its lower state of charge. The engine-generator provides sufficient power to propel the vehicle."

GM says that the Volt will be able to accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in 8.5 to 9 seconds, whether it is running on battery or engine-generator power

【中文翻译】

尽管通用汽车（General Motors）仍将自己定义为后破产时代，但其还是在推进破产前就已经进行的一个重要项目：开发雪佛兰Volt（Chevy Volt）电动汽车。

上周，一组通用汽车的工程师们对8辆电池驱动的Volt汽车进行了测试，从密歇根东南部开到匹兹堡，为期3天，共1200英里。

工程师将评估新车的所有部件，从音响设备到座椅，但是他们主要关注的将是Volt在电力和汽油驱动下的性能如何。

在上一篇专栏的末尾，我就对Volt做出了简短的评论，谈到Volt还面临着许多尚未解决的问题，引起了热烈的反响。

因为Volt在电池用完后，由内燃机对电池进行充电以延长行程，我的评价主要关注的是推断使用内燃机充电时Volt的性能。

据可靠消息称，Volt重量将近4千磅，其发动机仅为1.4升，于是一些人猜测Volt在汽油驱动下将会变得出奇的慢。

通用一位发言人称：“这种观点完全不正确。在汽车电池达到低电能的时候，Volt的性能并没有任何下降。内燃机发电机能提供足够的能量驱动汽车。”

【英文原文】

That's not all. Also under scrutiny is GM's oft-repeated assertion that the Volt will have an all-electric range of 40 miles. Critics point out that the car needs ideal conditions to do that.

For one thing, the 40-mile range depends on ambient temperatures of 60 degrees to 65 degrees. When the temperature drops below 60, the batteries become less efficient. And if it gets hotter than 65, the air conditioner can impose an additional load on the Volt's batteries. Either way, the range diminishes.

Nor does the 40-mile range accommodate aggressive driving or sustained uphill climbs -- you don't have to be a budding drag racer or hill-climb contestant to get less than the full range on electricity.

Other questions about the Volt are almost philosophical: Just what is GM is trying to achieve with the Volt, and how much value does it provide the customer?

For instance, compare the Volt to the best selling gasoline-electric hybrid, the Toyota Prius. The goal of the Prius is to use less gasoline. Therefore, it carries 230 lbs of batteries that give an assist to the 1.8 liter gasoline engine to improve the car's fuel economy. The Prius has an all-electric range of only about a mile, but it gets 50 miles per gallon of gasoline.

And oh yes, the Prius starting price is $23,750.

The Volt, in contrast, wants to almost entirely do away with gasoline. Therefore, it carries a hefty 400 pounds of batteries that can propel the car up to 40 miles under ideal conditions. But once the batteries have been depleted, the Volt is powered by a conventional 1.4-liter gasoline engine that gets conventional fuel economy.

And the price for the Volt hasn't been set yet, but it will likely be a tad under $40,000, minus a $7,500 government rebate -- a good bit higher than the Prius.

So here's one way to look at: The Volt will be easier on the environment, but only if you don't mind paying a premium and drive fewer than 40 miles per day.

The Prius weighs more heavily on the environment but performs consistently under nearly all conditions and cost less.

Choosing between the two will be up to customers, beginning at the end of 2010 when Volt is scheduled to go on sale.

【中文翻译】

通用称Volt将能够在8.5到9秒之间将车速从0加到每小时60英里，不管是用电池还是用发电机电能。

这并不是所有问题。同时受到人们怀疑的还有通用不断重申的一点，也就是通用称Volt的电池能够行驶40英里。而批评者指出要达到这个标准，汽车需要处于最理想状态下。

首先，要达到最大行驶距离40英里取决于电池周围温度，要求为60 °F到65 °F（16--18°C）。当温度低于60 °F，电池能效就下降。如果温度高于65 °F，那么车内空调可能会给Volt电池带来额外负担。不管是哪一种情况，行驶距离都将减少。

而且40英里的最大行驶距离也没法适应高强度的驾驶和持续的爬坡——你并不非得是个崭露头角的汽车拉力赛选手或者爬坡赛选手，才能够减少电池所支撑的最大行驶距离。

关于Volt的其他问题则更加理论化：通过Volt，通用想达到什么目的？通用能够为消费者提供多少价值？

比如，将Volt同最热卖的油电混合动力车丰田普锐斯（Toyota Prius）进行一下比较，就可见一斑。普锐斯的目的是要减少汽油使用量。因此，普锐斯装有230磅的电池以辅助1.8升的内燃机，提高汽车的能效。普锐斯电池的最大行驶距离只有大约1英里，但是每加仑汽油的行驶距离则为50英里。

啊，还有，普锐斯的定价为23750美元。

相反，Volt则希望完全摆脱汽油。因此，车上装了400磅笨重的电池，能够在理想状态下驱动汽车行驶40英里。但是一旦电池用完，Volt则由传统的1.4升内燃机以最普通的能效驱动。

Volt的价格还未确定，但很可能会稍低于4万美元，再减去政府7500美元的退税，还是高出了普锐斯许多。

因此总结一下，可以这样看：Volt会减少环境的污染，但是前提是你不介意其较高的价格，并且每天开车少于40英里。

普锐斯给环境带来更大的负担，但是性能在几乎所有情况下都较为稳定，并且价格较低。

要在这两款车之间做出选择完全取决于消费者，也就是在2010年底Volt计划的上市销售时间，我们将拭目以待。