Chevrolet Voltec - a brilliant but misunderstood hybrid vehicle technology?

When the original design study for the Chevy Volt was unveiled in 2007 it immediately caught my attention.

I watched with interest as this concept made it's way through the design process and eventually became a production model at the end of 2010.

Here in the UK the Volt had some design tweaks and was released to the UK market as the Vauxhall Ampera. As soon as I saw it I knew that I wanted one. The styling changes, although subtle, gave the car a fresh look unlike anything else on the UK market at the time. The Voltec drivetrain was years ahead of it's time.

I bought mine [above] in 2015 and have found it to be a fantastic piece of engineering and I think this is why I find it so disappointing that GM have not taken this drivetrain to the next level.

Let me explain....

The Voltec drivetrain is unlike anything on offer from motor manufacturers even now, seven years after it was introduced. It works in a number of different modes which allow you to get the best of both the electric and petrol motors. There is a compact 4 cylinder petrol engine mated to a clutch and gearbox pack which itself is part of two interlinked electric motor/generator units.

This is the important difference. Many hybrids today are actually using their electric motors to supplement the petrol engine. In the Voltec system, the engine has no connections to the driving wheels at all. All drive is electric and may involve one or other (or both) of the electric motors depending on the situation. When battery range is exhausted, the Voltec system starts up the petrol engine and uses it to drive one of the electric motors as a generator. This then powers the other electric motor to drive the car.

All this happens seamlessly. As a driver you have the best of both worlds. You have the instant; silent acceleration of an electric car with the re-assurance that you have another 300 miles + of petrol range if needed.

For UK roads, where our journeys can be very mixed, this is a great benefit. At the moment, even in winter, I am charging my Ampera from my own solar panels. My daily use around town rarely uses all the battery range. When I do have to travel further afield to see family or friends the car will look after which mode to run in.

Unfortunately the car was not well marketed over here and, combined with the 'badge envy' issues we have in the UK, it did not sell well. The new generation Volt, with an improved Voltec system, will not be available for sale here. This is a great shame.

I am often asked about the car. You don't see very many on the road. It always amazes me that, once I explain how the technology works, people almost think it's too good to be true. "Where can we buy one?" they ask. "Will this be available in the next Vauxhall Astra?" they say.

"No," I have to tell them "this is likely to be the only Voltec powered car that made it to the UK. If you want something similar you'll need to buy a BMW i3."

Which makes me quite sad. Just when the public are getting really interested in electric car technology, GM, quite literally, pulled the plug.