[MikeyCVolt]

I think the drivetrain for the Volt is the same as the Cadillac ELR all the way down to the batteries, wiring, speed controller, and transmission. And I think the ELR outputs a max of 150kW (C&D says 174kW) to the motors versus the 120 used by the Volt. In any case, I don't think 120kW is near the Volt's actual design limits.

Instead of a silly throttle remap that maps everything above about 60% throttle to 100%... I'd rather have an increased performance mode that pushes the car a little more to its limits and gives you 150kW of power. If Tesla can do Ludicrous mode, surely GM can do that upgrade. I was hoping the aftermarket would do it but there's probably not much call for that on a car like this.

Mike

 

[Ziv]

It isn't just the top end kW's that are limited. The torque has a time ramp up so that full torque takes about a second to kick in. So when you floor the accelerator, you don't get full torque for a second, it slowly builds up. You can get full torque immediately only by loading up the torque before you floor it, by having the accelerator at 1/4 power then flooring it. Apparently having the torque ramp up too swiftly would be more likely to cause drivetrain wear and eventual failure.
I read the torque delay info in an interview with a GM engineer (Weber?) published here back in 2011 or 2012. So maybe the new Volt does have a more aggressive torque ramp up. But having full torque in a quarter second would probably give you a noticeably faster 0-30 time. More kW would be better than a faster torque ramp up, but both would be nice!

 

[rmay635703]

There is a French Canadian upgrade that adds 20% to your max KWs

Check out the Volt Facebook page for the site

 

[volt spain]

What about your 8 yrs /100.000 miles warranty?...As the number of volts get out of warranty will see modifications, very exciting !!!.

 

[volt11]

The 2016 ELR got a 25% bump in power. In sport mode with engine assist, I see 205KW max on the dash display. 0-60mph in 6.4 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvnKVBdSWcA

 

[srmarti]

It's my understanding that there are some mechanical differences in the drivetrain of the ELR as well. At least in the later product cars.

 

[MikeyCVolt]

It's my understanding that there are some mechanical differences in the drivetrain of the ELR as well. At least I the later product cars.

If anyone finds the few bytes to change in order to raise the limit to 150kW, I volunteer to test it out and see if I smell anything burning.

Mike

 

[rmay635703]

If anyone finds the few bytes to change in order to raise the limit to 150kW, I volunteer to test it out and see if I smell anything burning.

Mike

This upgrade already exists

https://translate.googleusercontent...ule20/&usg=ALkJrhgZ5fPCboBODyeaEQWET_pTGZqcpQ

 

[MikeyCVolt]

This upgrade already exists

https://translate.googleusercontent...ule20/&usg=ALkJrhgZ5fPCboBODyeaEQWET_pTGZqcpQ

Close! That's encouraging to see that someone has done it but doesn't do me any good since mine is a 2017. Maybe someone will do it for the gen 2. If so, hopefully I won't have to go out of the country and make an appointment to get it installed.

Mike

 

[Monzsta]

I'm eagerly looking for ways to improve power. The inverter is the same between the Volt and ELR. The transmission does have differences, might be worth the upgrade if one is ever needed out of warranty.

I was discussing programming techniques with a GM tech friend of mine, to see if the ELR software could be made to work with the Volt and we have a few scenarios to try out!

 

[marty2627]

Yep nice application .. mine is 2013, so not available to 2013 models .. but I like the idea of having 20% more range.
Also, I am in Australia! So I am guessing hard to find someone that could do that for me Perhaps they could license the kit to be used in different countries price is ok, depending on how good it works - I noted that regen would not work for "the first few kilometres" I guess , that the "first few" would mean "the extra 20%? (Not sure if regen wouldnt work, or just that regen would not put energy back into the battery for those kilometres. )

 

[marty2627]

Close! That's encouraging to see that someone has done it but doesn't do me any good since mine is a 2017. Maybe someone will do it for the gen 2. If so, hopefully I won't have to go out of the country and make an appointment to get it installed.

Mike

Hi Mike, I have a 2013 , so it is not currently available for 2103, but I emailed them and mentioned this thread, and suggested perhaps they can license someone in the USA to do the work for them? Just an idea Perhaps if there is enough interest, he may be interested to do this on 2013, 2017 etc? maybe...

 

[reciprocity]

The ELR has a completely different HiPer Strut front suspension that improves handling and reduces torque steer, plus bigger brakes and more regen. Not to say that the Volt couldn't handle the extra power, but there are substantial differences between the cars.

I'm sure potential increases in warranty claims from more heavily taxing the Voltec system factored into the pricing of the ELR. GM was very conservative with the first generation Volt and put a lot of work into making sure it worked exactly as advertised, which is why it's been such a great car! (Its reliability is probably what gave GM the confidence to push further with the ELR.)

 

[Dutch]

GM was very conservative with the first generation Volt and put a lot of work into making sure it worked exactly as advertised

I was just watching a movie about electric motorcycle racing and it was very interesting to listen to the designers and mechanics talk about how they had to keep dialing down the initial torque impulse and lengthening the torque curve in the controls before the bikes would stop breaking drive train and suspension components and/or throwing the riders. They said they had to go WAY lower than they expected.

Apparently "Off the line" stresses are more logarithmic than linear due to a whiplash effect in the materials and even now if you don't pre-load the drivetrain in an electric racing bike you can snap the drive components easily.

 

[MikeyCVolt]

Makes sense: instant torque. I'd be happy to see the existing 120kW up to about 30 MPH and then have it increase from 120 to 150 after that. The Volt darts off the line pretty quick and has a lot of acceleration up to about 30 MPH. Then it dies off quickly and by 45 MPH it has fallen on its face. Would be nice to have a slow ramp to 150 kW to mitigate that fall off in acceleration.

Mike

 

[srmarti]

Yep nice application .. mine is 2013, so not available to 2013 models .. but I like the idea of having 20% more range.
Also, I am in Australia! So I am guessing hard to find someone that could do that for me Perhaps they could license the kit to be used in different countries price is ok, depending on how good it works - I noted that regen would not work for "the first few kilometres" I guess , that the "first few" would mean "the extra 20%? (Not sure if regen wouldnt work, or just that regen would not put energy back into the battery for those kilometres. )

As long as you realize what you're doing is eliminating or at least reducing the charge buffers engineered into the system to assure battery longevity. If you think the tradeoff is worth it, fine.