Green Tech Part 2

By Nilesh Gogineni, Technology Blogger

This is part 2 of the Green Technology series; the idea is to discuss how technology is paving the future of environmentally friendly ideas and concepts into production with real world usage.

Last week, I discussed GE's new GEnx jet propulsion engine that is going to be incorporated into the new fleet of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. This week, I found the Chevy Volt. Chevy? Yes. Chevrolet? Yes. As in, GM? Yes, GM.

Probably the first good thing GM has done in a long time is revamp its electric car...after the company killed it in 2003 with the required return of all leased EV1 cars. Regardless of the past, the Chevy Volt is certainly a "jolt" to an industry that is currently dominated by Asian automakers. But before you judge the behemoth of a failure that GM has been, take a look at the Chevy Volt.

Is that really a Chevy?? Yeah, it surprised me too, yes it is real in all its glory; something that cannot be said about a GM vehicle, period. So what makes this car green?

The underlying concept, even though it is just a hybrid, is that it is an electric powered, gasoline assisted vehicle. Generally, its been the other way around, gasoline powered, electric assisted. However, the concept behind the Volt is that most Americans drive under 40 miles a day. So, if you make a vehicle that has an electric range of 40 miles, then you will be satisfying the need of most Americans without using a drop of gas. Of course, that range increases a bit with regenerative braking and constant recharging, etc.

Powering the Volt is also pretty straight forward; simply plug the car into a standard wall outlet and voila! By the time you wake up, the car will be fully juiced and ready to take you wherever
you need to go. Since it runs on an electric motor, there are no emissions of any kind, and its completely clean. In addition, an added benefit is that the motor does not have to shift into higher gears to reach optimal performance. You have 100% of the torque as soon as you touch the gas pedal, and that relates to some really fast 0 - 60mph timings. I won't delve into all those details but I will say that you will have no problem reaching highway speeds from take off.

Lithium-ion batteries, like the ones in a laptop, have made this technology possible. By coupling a bunch of lithium-ion batteries and adding a really sophisticated processor to the entire mix, you have a very useful system that is relatively cheap and also very environmentally friendly. After all, being environmentally friendly is what the green age is all about.