The Chevrolet Volt is seeing a modest fuel economy bump for the 2016 model year, to a reported 41 mpg. That may not sound like a whole lot, but remember, it has a longer all-electric range, quicker acceleration, and better response, to boot. And this all comes at a lower gross weight than the outgoing model.
So Autoblog reached out to GM’s Chief Engineer of Electrification Tim Grewe to try and flesh out some of the changes made to the second-generation Voltec powertrain.
Probably the most interesting aspect of the new, second-generation Voltec drivetrain that Mr. Grewe comments on is the two electric motors. It’s the key, he claims, to further expanding upon the “fun to drive” attribute of the first-generation car.
“Spread ratios, you can kind of think of it as they got a motor, and there’s a gear between the motor and the wheels,” he told Autoblog. “And what we did is we set up our two motors so that we have a little bit different gear ratio, so now that flat torque band that everybody loves is actually wider… to give it that exciting drive feel.”
To watch the full two-minute interview with Tim Grewe, check out the video below:
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I want a Volt jacket like what Tim is wearing!