Comments on: GM Insider Says 2014 Chevy Volt Will Get a New Engine

By: Gerri Sanduscki

Gerri Sanduscki — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 04:41:08 +0000

I think it would be a good idea for a Corvette to have an electric motor but keep it a secret so people would think you’re being awesome when really your just saving gas.

By: disbsam333

disbsam333 — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 05:32:14 +0000

Holy crap, why does everyone here suddenly become an engineer asking stupid questions about engine size and what not? If GM’s genius engineers could figure this car out, I am pretty sure they know what the next engine upgrade should be. And 2.0 is not a big engine, its just a tiny bit larger than the 1.4. And BTW people, the Vette’s 7.0L gets better MPG than the 1.3L rotary Mazda engine.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 22:09:55 +0000

I hope this project is for a other model ,not the Volt.
The Volt will gain from reducing Price and Weight.

By: perfectapproach

perfectapproach — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:12:30 +0000

In general, when you increase the power of the generator, you can increase the amperage of the electrical output. This translates to faster charge rate. TBH, it’s probably NOT because of performance, although that is a nice side effect. Rather, it’s probably to maintain the electric range with a more powerful electric motor sucking electrons faster from the batteries.

By: Ben_G

Ben_G — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:29:56 +0000

Don’t forget Chevy is also working on a plug-in version of the Cruze, which will probably replace the Volt in the mass market. So, the Volt will likely move upscale.

By: chad

chad — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:27:48 +0000

I agree with Van. The third generation of the prius did the same thing (from a 1.5L to a 1.8L). They claimed that the larger engine displacement produced more torque. This in turn allowed them to run the engine at a lower RPM which reduced fuel consumption.

Although the result might be a heavier car. I doubt the all electric range will take a hit. Why would they raise it by three miles just to lower it the next year? Or this rumor could just be dead wrong. What I want to know is when they will put an E85 engine in there. From what I read it was suppose to be announced in the 2013 model year.

By: dutchinchicago

dutchinchicago — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:18:26 +0000

I am not even sure that it needs a bigger electrical motor. I am very pleased with the acceleration I am getting from the car right now.

It would be a shame if they try to turns this car into a muscle car at the expense of efficiency.

Most people hardly ever use the ICE engine so the less weight we have to carry around the better. I really hope that this story is not true. I am assuming that this 2.0L engine is heavier than the 1.4L engine which might be wrong.

By: Van

Van — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 14:46:56 +0000

Hi Old Grumpy, while it is true that early on, GM claimed the ICE did not drive the wheels, later they fessed up, it does. So their power-split transmission actually works like the Toyota Synergy Drive, with enough differences to avoid patent infringement.

Early on they were trying to develop a 1 liter engine to drive the generator, but as the article said, they shifted and put an available 1.4 engine in, which gets a dismal 37 MPG. Sometimes going with a little bigger engine will result in higher gas mileage.

This is a pure guess, but perhaps the 2.0 liter engine in a non-turbo version will be used in the Volt and the turbo version in the Caddy.

But I certainly agree with you, in general it seems a smaller (lighter) engine like the original Insight engine coupled with a larger more powerful electric motor and battery offers improved performance.

By: David

David — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 11:47:14 +0000

I would rather see a diesel (bio-compatible) or CNG option.

By: kmack

kmack — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 06:05:08 +0000

I don’t think this will be for the volt.