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From: mbutts@mentor.com (Mike Butts)
Newsgroups: sci.energy,sci.electronics,rec.autos.tech
Subject: Tech details on GM Electric Car
Message-ID: <1990Jan16.210512.287@mentor.com>
Date: 16 Jan 90 21:05:12 GMT
Organization: engr
Lines: 42

Page 13 of the 1/15 issue of Automotive Electronics Journal (AEJ) yields the
following details on the GM Impact electric car prototype which was in the
general press lately.

Impact (what a great name for a car! :-) is a two-seat all-electric prototype
car.  2550 pound gross weight, 0-60 MPH in 8 seconds, top speed 75 MPH, 0.19
drag coefficient, cruising range 120 miles.  Batteries are a tray of 32 10-volt
lead-acid cells weighing 870 pounds. 25K mile life is given for the battery
set, which is sealed for life and does not need water.  Other text vaguely
refers to a one year battery lifetime.  Cost of ownership is said to be 2X
gasoline cars, but no other figures are given here.  An engineering manager
predicted doubling life within 2-3 years and admits that life needs to be
improved before marketing is feasable.  Lead-acid was chosen because it is well
known, but they stressed that production cars could have some other type of
battery.  A photo shows the battery tray, which is nearly as long as the car
and about one foot square being lowered from the aerodynamic body, which is on
a lift.

Aerovironment, Paul MacCready's company of human-powered aircraft fame, which
is 15% owned by GM, developed the MOSFET controller which generates AC for the
motors.  Delco Remy built the twin motors, one for each front wheel, which
together develop 114 HP and 94 ft-lbs of torque.  There is no transmission. 
Goodyear did the custom low-resistance tires.

The prototype was said to be ready for production but company officials
expressed mixed feelings about pursuing the project.  Company officials believe
a production EV could be built within 10 years.

Roger Smith is quoted saying "There is no sense in just transferring the
pollution problem from the cars to Southern California Edison."  The AEJ
article then takes issue with that point, citing statistics from Edison and LA
Power and Water to the effect that transportation accounts for more than 80% of
So. Cal's "air emissions", and the region's utilities account for only 0.5% of
that amount.  The utilities would become more efficient because of nighttime
electric car charging evening out load levels, says AEJ (ref. AEJ 12/18/89).

PS: I want one now.
-- 
Michael Butts, Research Engineer       KC7IT           503-626-1302
Mentor Graphics Corp., 8500 SW Creekside Place, Beaverton, OR 97005
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Opinions are my own, not necessarily those of Mentor Graphics Corp.