Quote:
Originally Posted by ksa8907
The gen1 chevy volt was both, but was primarily a series hybrid. Only under very specific situations will the engine drive the wheels directly. Which is why it was only capable of mid to high 40's MPG on the highway whereas a toyota prius could easily do better.
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I'd argue against this, simply by virtue of its transmission layout. It uses a very similar planetary gearset to a Prius. The electric motor is large enough and the gearing chosen such that the gas engine doesn't *need* to oppose the electric motor in order to operate at all normal road speeds, but ultimately it's still planetary gears. Torque into the system = torque out of the system.