Looking to ecomod my Chevrolet Volt (extend its electric range)

[WindyDrew]

Originally Posted by HiFlite

Not entirely. Look around the shiny stuff just under the chevy badge on the front. It's open. Experience has shown, never, ever block off these openings!

You're right, I worded that wrong. I meant that it was not open like the bottom and was already very aero friendly. Should say it's am aero upper grill.

[WindyDrew]

Originally Posted by HiFlite

I have them, but be very particular about grounding and keep the HV cables away from other wiring. Since HIDs use high frequency AC, interference can cause havoc. One Volt owner lost his brakes when he turned his headlights on ...

I have been running my hids for a few weeks now and after they sent me the Canbus fix, I haven't had one issue. I love them. I feel more confident at night now. I also used a relay harness and don't get any weird feedbacks or noise on the radio. Very impressed.

[WindyDrew]

I've been running a quick grill block on it for a few weeks also and I believe there is plenty of cooling for all bit the hottest days now. I've even increased my speed to 55 from 53 and still make it the full 41.5 miles wroth almost no gas usage. I run into some headwind almost every day, which makes comparing hard but I have a tailwind for the other trip so it's a wash. I live in Kansas and work on a wind farm so I can't complain.

Originally Posted by HiFlite

I wouldn't bet the farm on it. Warning systems are not designed to anticipate owners modifying the car. The Volt's cooling system is massively complicated. (The factory service manual for my early cars ran a couple hundred pages, for my 1987 Audi, 800 pages, for the Volt ~6000 pages!)

The Chevrolet Volt Cooling/Heating Systems Explained - GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

Five radiators in 4 layers! A good sized stone in the wrong place can and has caused $2000 worth of damage. One reason not a lot of Volt activity has appeared on modder is that it's a ~$35000 car, not a 1982 Hondaru worth 500 bucks. Also, it's hard to improve upon something so well optimized from the get-go. My ~stock Volt has a 82 mpg lifetime history and costs ~$550 per 10,000 miles to power, running 50/50 on gas and electricity. DOUBLING its efficiency would save me $200/year and modding isn't going to come close to that.

I'd suggest studying the owner's manual and gm-volt.com before embarking on any major projects. YMMV.

[WindyDrew]

I'll pull my pans off today and take pictures. I used an expanding plumbers plug, from the local hardware store. I used an 18 inch pizza pan from amazon but when I measured the wheel, it turns out they are like 20 inches to the rubber. I'll write up a how to tonight.

To the torque hitch, I love mine. I bought one of those aluminum luggage carriers from harbor freight and it works perfect as is. Everything I've put on it so far has been out of the wind stream so it hasn't effected my range. Hauled some oil jugs and it worked likea charm. Way better than leaking on my carpet.

Originally Posted by Hank1510

I just bought my 2014 Volt earlier this year, and I'm in a similar situation. My commute is about 48 miles round trip, and I average about 42 miles per charge. I cringe every time that gas engine comes on with only a mile or two left to go...

How are your pizza wheel covers holding up? Where did you get the expanding plug from? What size? I measured about 1.5" minimum opening, but the inner cavity is larger. Did you take the wheels off and insert the plug from the inside?

I also noticed that the pans look a little too small. I measured a little over 18" to get beyond the lip of the rim. What size are yours?

I've also been looking at hitch mounted cargo boxes. The torque cental invisi hitch seems the most robust and keeps ground clearance, but the boxes I've found will be so high they enter the wind stream. I'd only be using mine on long trips though, not for consistent FE gains.

[WindyDrew]

I don't need to substantially improve the efficiency, just enough to eliminate my gas consumption in my daily drive. All I need is a couple miles, 2 or 3. 5 at the most. That's a 10% increase, which I think is reasonable with my mods. I'm thinking about a belly pan next.

Originally Posted by HiFlite

I wouldn't bet the farm on it. Warning systems are not designed to anticipate owners modifying the car. The Volt's cooling system is massively complicated. (The factory service manual for my early cars ran a couple hundred pages, for my 1987 Audi, 800 pages, for the Volt ~6000 pages!)

The Chevrolet Volt Cooling/Heating Systems Explained - GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

Five radiators in 4 layers! A good sized stone in the wrong place can and has caused $2000 worth of damage. One reason not a lot of Volt activity has appeared on modder is that it's a ~$35000 car, not a 1982 Hondaru worth 500 bucks. Also, it's hard to improve upon something so well optimized from the get-go. My ~stock Volt has a 82 mpg lifetime history and costs ~$550 per 10,000 miles to power, running 50/50 on gas and electricity. DOUBLING its efficiency would save me $200/year and modding isn't going to come close to that.

I'd suggest studying the owner's manual and gm-volt.com before embarking on any major projects. YMMV.

[jray3]

Originally Posted by WindyDrew

I don't need to substantially improve the efficiency, just enough to eliminate my gas consumption in my daily drive.

While finding a different route that is more advantageous to slow-rolling, fewer stops, or more coasting than the usual can help, the following is just for fun...

Hey Drew- any chance one leg is significantly downhill? I have a 550 foot loss of elevation during the last few miles of my morning commute, so can recover a fair bit at that point. (Will hit a terminal velocity of over 80 mph in Neutral on that hill!) I'm ready to play with a water bladder that adds mass for more intertia on the way down, and then gets drained before the climb back home! Gotta install the drain valve in front of the right rear tire so I can stop and take a leak on some victim.

Seriously though, that 550 feet of elevation is worth 745 joules or 0.20694 Watt-hrs per pound. Put on 200 pounds (24 gallons) of water, and there's a potential energy of 41.38 Watt-hours, or about enough to push my car for 1/4 of a mile farther than otherwise. Not worth the effort, but oughtta be measurable... Of course, more regen is not as good as more coasting, if you can.

[WindyDrew]

There is only 1 way to work and it is very hilly. It runs north and south which is our primary wind direction. I have no other choice but to just drive it as is or modify. I prefer modify.

Originally Posted by jray3

While finding a different route that is more advantageous to slow-rolling, fewer stops, or more coasting than the usual can help, the following is just for fun...

Hey Drew- any chance one leg is significantly downhill? I have a 550 foot loss of elevation during the last few miles of my morning commute, so can recover a fair bit at that point. (Will hit a terminal velocity of over 80 mph in Neutral on that hill!) I'm ready to play with a water bladder that adds mass for more intertia on the way down, and then gets drained before the climb back home! Gotta install the drain valve in front of the right rear tire so I can stop and take a leak on some victim.

Seriously though, that 550 feet of elevation is worth 745 joules or 0.20694 Watt-hrs per pound. Put on 200 pounds (24 gallons) of water, and there's a potential energy of 41.38 Watt-hours, or about enough to push my car for 1/4 of a mile farther than otherwise. Not worth the effort, but oughtta be measurable... Of course, more regen is not as good as more coasting, if you can.

[Hank1510]

Originally Posted by WindyDrew

I'll pull my pans off today and take pictures. I used an expanding plumbers plug, from the local hardware store. I used an 18 inch pizza pan from amazon but when I measured the wheel, it turns out they are like 20 inches to the rubber. I'll write up a how to tonight.

To the torque hitch, I love mine. I bought one of those aluminum luggage carriers from harbor freight and it works perfect as is. Everything I've put on it so far has been out of the wind stream so it hasn't effected my range. Hauled some oil jugs and it worked likea charm. Way better than leaking on my carpet.

It's definitely larger than 17". I thought 18" would be enough, but maybe an even larger pan is needed. There are some 19" pans also.

I've been looking at Amazon too. Walmart only had up to a 16".
New Star 50912 Aluminum Wide Rim Pizza Tray Pizza Pan, 18-Inch, Set of 6
I don't have enough posts for links yet...

I'll need a full trunk, so I was thinking that the Rola 59110 would work. Not cheap, but has a water proof enclosure and a tray when needed.

[enator]

During the winter, I carry a axillary electric heater. It has an trolling/RV battery, in a marine battery box. With an electric heater (12V, 30A) bought from a truck stop. A relay that is fed by the cigarette socket in the volt with a switch to turn it on and off. and a voltmeter for the battery. This enables me to leave the heater off in cool weather and in cold weather gives a little boost. it Saves about one kilowatt hour.

[rmay635703]

Here you go

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