GM to develop electric Chevrolet Cruze

GM said it will launch a test fleet of Chevrolet Cruze electric cars in South Korea to explore market needs and customer acceptance of battery electric vehicles in Korea.

General Motors is building an experimental fleet of electrically powered Chevrolet Cruze compact cars that will have a driving range of up to 100 miles  to explore market needs and customer acceptance of battery electric vehicles, the company said in a statement.

GM said it will launch a test fleet of Chevrolet Cruze electric cars in South Korea to explore market needs and customer acceptance of battery electric vehicles in Korea.

The demonstraion project is currently being built in South Korea.  The project involves a fleet of electric vehicles based on the successful Chevrolet Cruze.

The result of shared development with GM Daewoo, LG Chem and LG Electronics, the electric Cruzes will be part of a demo fleet that will operate in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, statement said.

“This Cruze EV demonstration project reinforces GM’s commitment to being a leader in the development of electric vehicles and green technologies, building on our portfolio of hybrids and the Chevrolet Volt,” the statement  said quoting  Karl Stracke, Vice President, GM Global Vehicle Engineering.

The Cruze EV is equipped with a 31-kWh battery that generates maximum power of 150 kW. The demonstration fleet will be monitored closely to determine the amount of real-world range achievable by a vehicle of its size. On specific test schedules conducted by LG Chem, the demonstration vehicles may achieve a range of up to 160 km (100 miles).  The vehicles can go from 0 to 100 km/h (60 miles per hour) in 8.2 seconds with a maximum speed of 165 km/h (102.5 miles per hour).

On a standard household 220-volt outlet, the Cruze EV can be fully recharged in 8 to 10 hours.  Part of the demonstration fleet’s task is to test a “quick charge” application that could reduce the charge time significantly, it said.

While battery packs often occupy trunk space, the Cruze EV’s battery pack is mounted on the underbody. This gives the Cruze EV the same trunk space as conventional vehicles with gasoline engines.

These cars will be tested in South Korea from October and later tested in other parts of the world, the company said.

via GM to develop electric Chevrolet Cruze – International Business Times.

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