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The Cunard Building 's architectural style can be generally described as a mix of Italian Renaissance and Greek Revival , with a degree of Beaux @-@ Arts influence on the building 's structural form . Willink and Caldwell 's designs were heavily influenced by the work of Italian architect Baldassare Peruzzi and more broadly Italian Renaissance palace design in general , with the Farnese Palace in Rome believed to have been particularly influential . Despite the strong Italian influence , the architects chose to introduce Greek style for the details around the building itself and , as the building itself is larger than the Italian palaces that provided its inspiration , its structural form was prominently based upon American Beaux @-@ Arts buildings such as those in New York .
The Cunard Building is approximately rectangular in shape , with nine bays on the east and west sides , and seventeen bays on the north and south sides . However , as it was constructed after the Liver Building and Port of Liverpool Building on either side of it , space limitations meant that the east ( landward ) side was actually built 30 foot ( 9 m ) wider than the west . The central bays on each side provide the main entrance points into the building . Each entrance consists or a large panelled oak door , adorned by a pair of fluted columns and with a coffered ceiling . The Cunard Building stands six storeys tall and has two basement levels . Due to its construction on the site of the former George 's Dock , part of the original dock wall is still visible in the eastern boundary of the first basement level .
The frame of the building was constructed from reinforced concrete , which was then clad in Portland stone . Several highly detailed sculptures adorn the outside of the building , including ones of Britannia and Neptune , as well as others representing peace , war , and storms . There are also sculptures of the Zodiac and the coat of arms of the United Kingdom 's allies during the First World War . Another series of sculptures on the building depict different races from around the world , which reflect the global operations of the Cunard company . Marble was used to furnish several parts of the inside of the building , particularly on the ground floor corridors that link the north and south entrances . It was imported from several locations in Italy and Greece , including Attica , Carrara , and Arni Alto .
As the initial usage of the Cunard Building was mixed , there are a variety of features within the building that reflect the original purposes of different areas within . Initially , Cunard 's administration facilities were located on the upper floors and due to the necessity for large amounts of light in the design facilities , these rooms where developed to include both <unk> in the roof and also large windows to maximise the amount of natural light . Another feature are the high quality ornate fittings that are present in what would have been the former first class passenger lounge , which is located on the first floor . These fitting are also in the former board room , which is located in a ' commanding ' position on the fifth floor , overlooking the river below .
One of the most notable features of the Cunard Building are the large basement and sub @-@ basement levels that initially acted as storage facilities for both the Company 's property and also the luggage of passengers . Coal was also stored in the basement , with a small railway track providing a link to the boiler room , which was used to heat the building . Many original features of the basement still exist , including the timber baggage racks , ship logs and other maritime documents . Several secure vaults , which in the past were used to store the most valuable passenger items , are still used today to hold historic documents , drawings and blueprints relating to the Cunard Building and also some of Cunard 's Liners , such as the RMS Queen Mary .
= = Cunard War Memorial = =
The Cunard War Memorial is located on the west side of the Cunard Building and was erected in memory of the Cunard employees who were killed during the First World War , and later the Second World War . A Grade II listed monument , it was designed by Arthur Davis , who acted as consultant during the construction of the Cunard Building itself . It was erected around 1920 , although it wasn 't officially unveiled until 1921 , by the Earl of Derby , Edward Stanley . Prior to being located at the Pier Head , the monument had been exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London .
The monument consists of a large bronze statue that sits atop a Doric style column , which is itself raised above the ground by a pedestal base . The statue was sculpted by Henry Alfred Pegram , whilst John Stubbs & Sons provided the stonework . Due the architects wishes that the monument be in keeping with the design of the Cunard Building , Davis designed the memorial to match the Greek features of building . The figure on top is of man , who is said to represent victory , standing above the prow of a Roman ship . Around him there are other naval references including ropes , anchors , and shells . After the Second World War , the monument become dedicated to all Cunard employees who died in both wars . An inscription on the side of the memorial reads " pro patria " , which is Latin for , " for one 's country " .
= Destination : Imagination =
" Destination : Imagination " is a television special of the animated television series Foster 's Home for Imaginary Friends . The plot of the special follows Frankie , who becomes trapped in a huge , mysterious world where she is treated like royalty but forced not to leave . Bloo , Mac , Coco , Eduardo , and Wilt journey through the world to rescue her , facing perils and challenges along the way .
Written by Lauren Faust and Tim McKeon , " Destination : Imagination " was directed by Rob Renzetti and series creator Craig McCracken . The plot was conceived after the crew decided that they wanted to make an episode with adventure , featuring the characters going out on a large quest of sorts . Due to the dark and serious storytelling approach used , the special came out " edgier " than most episodes of Foster 's Home for Imaginary Friends .
The special originally broadcast on Cartoon Network on November 27 , 2008 , on Thanksgiving Day . It was well received and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program ( for Programming One Hour or More ) . It was also nominated for two Annie Awards — one for Best Animated Television Production Produced for Children and another for McCracken and Renzetti 's directing .
= = Plot summary = =
During the pouring rain , a mother and father leave a heavily chained toy box at the doorstep of Foster 's Home for Imaginary Friends with instructions to not be opened . The next day , Frankie has grown outraged about her job as the house caretaker ; Mr. Herriman has been giving her endless chores to take care day after day without thanking her for any of it . When Frankie discovers the box left on the doorstep , Herriman instructs her to leave it in the attic . In a fit of anger toward Herriman , she intentionally ignores the instructions given in the box and peeks inside it . She falls inside , only to discover it is a vast world filled with anthropomorphic toys and delectable treats . She hears and sympathizes with a young boy 's voice ( Max Burkholder ) , later revealed to be the imaginary friend named World ( given the name by the crew of the show ) , who has been living alone in the toy chest since his family left the box at Foster 's .
Frankie adores the world and goes to visit it every day , being treated like royalty by the voice . But one day , when she goes to leave , the friend refuses to allow her and locks every exit in the castle they are abiding in . Bloo , Mac , Coco , Eduardo , and Wilt become curious with her sudden disappearance . They go up to the attic and enter the toy box , discovering for themselves the vast world that resides in it . They ask around a small town if anyone has seen a woman of Frankie 's description but nobody responds . A group of <unk> policemen discover they have entered the world and chase after them , but the gang are saved by a heroic man . He tries to warn them that their pursuit of Frankie will lead through extremely dangerous environments , but they are determined to rescue her . Mr. Herriman , in the meantime , is outraged by Frankie 's disappearance and attempts to find a replacement for her , but to no avail .
After failing to cross a musical and colorful bridge , the gang falls into a pit where sticky material becomes their zombie @-@ like doppelgangers and moves to chase them . They escape through a Super Mario World @-@ like environment and go to the house of a toy dog , where they are set up for a trap to eat crumpets with sleeping powder . Mac does not eat the crumpets ( since the sleeping powder was thought to be powdered sugar , and he can 't eat sugar without temporarily losing his mind ) and is able to save the others . As they try to escape , they discover that the heroic man and several others they have met on their journey are all controlled by a single face — World — who can animate and control seemingly anything he latches onto . World is trapped on an apple and the gang leaves it at a desert ; but latches on a horse , truly the guise of Mac and the gang rides by , and World is able to move once more . It gallops off to the castle , where the gang find Frankie and attempt to save her . However , Frankie reveals that World never kidnapped her , she was staying of her own free will and is happy to be away from the work at Foster 's and Mr. Herriman 's constant nagging . The friends then plead with Frankie to come home insisting that they need her to take care of them . She believes their pleas to be selfish and storms off as she is " sick of taking care of everyone and everything without never even receiving a word of thanks , an ounce of help , or a tiny little smidgen of respect " . They attempt to console her , but World gasses them and they fall asleep . When they awaken , they find themselves in a fake version of Foster 's created by World , who shrank them into it .
Frankie begins to hear their tiny voices calling to her and , though World tries to distract her from it , she finally discovers her friends . World finally becomes upset and scolds Frankie of planning to leave him alone in the toy box forever . She calms him down enough to befriend and <unk> the gang , but Mr. Herriman bursts in , having gotten into the toy box and somehow past the gang 's obstacles , and harshly scolds World before preparing to take the gang home and leave World to " think long and hard about what you 've done " . World 's world falls to pieces until it 's nothing but a white void . World becomes angry and unstable and turns into a chimera @-@ like creature to attack them all ( made of the remaining refuse of his world ) . The gang manages to escape the toy box . Frankie climbs out as well and tries to convince everyone to let World out of the box . Herriman finally yields and releases World from the box , due to a realization of his long misjudgement of Frankie and newfound appreciation for her during her absence . World gets happy already and shouts that he 's free and everyone is really confused , Frankie 's answer is : " Well , think of it this way : Imagine if you were able to have anything you wanted , except one thing , but that one thing is what you wanted more than anything else . For him , that thing is a friend . That 's all he wanted ; that 's what he was trying to protect . So I brought him here . Here he can have all the friends in the world ! I mean come on , isn 't friendship what Foster 's is all about ? " <unk> Bloo shouts , " No , it 's all about me ! " promptly Herriman slaps him with a glove , to the delight of everyone else .
World adapts to the new environment and lives as a stuffed rag doll in the home . Herriman , having learned a valuable lesson from the experience , creates a new Fair <unk> Act to divide the chores between the imaginary friends and thus give Frankie a well @-@ deserved break from her job . All the imaginary friends in the house are free to travel in and out of the toy box , where they enjoy themselves ( they go to the toy box in a style similar to the show 's theme ) , with the last to enter being World and Frankie , the latter of who shout out " <unk> ! "
During the post credits scene , Madame Foster returns from her vacation only to be greeted by an empty house and wonders where everyone is .
= = Production = =
" Destination : Imagination " was co @-@ written by Foster 's Home for Imaginary Friends co @-@ creator Lauren Faust along with Tim McKeon . Other series co @-@ founder Craig McCracken directed it along with Rob Renzetti . The special was conceived by the four , along with Darrick Bachman , Edward Baker , Vaughn Tada , and Alex Kirwan , as a means of creating an adventure story , to " send the gang on a fantastic quest . "
The character of World was created as a means to have an imaginary friend that was an entire world instead of the usual " sentient being that you hang out with . " Baker suggested that the character should be portrayed as a young child , which McCracken agreed because it brought originality to the story , and allowed him to " be more emotional , to not understand the bigger picture , to be confused and vulnerable and like a kid , to throw a fit when they don 't get their way . "
The special was written with the goal of " telling the story in the most honest and sincere way . " The writers attempted to continue the tense and unpleasant relationship between Frankie and Mr. Herriman , which they had begun developing since the series began , but approaching it in a believable and sensible fashion . With the heavy plot running through the special , the writers tried to use Bloo and his companions as a means to add humor into it . They wrote Bloo to be more obnoxious and demanding than previously , but did not want him to be cruel or malicious .
A lot of the special was more " edgy " and dark than what had been done previously on Foster 's Home for Imaginary Friends . A major reason behind this was the peril , danger , and conflict that constructed the plot so heavily . McCracken explains , " When we start a show one of the first things we think about is tone , is this a goofy one , is it a serious one , whatever it may be we stay true to that tone . This one had some higher stakes so we let it naturally unfold that way . "
= = Reception = =
" Destination : Imagination " was originally broadcast on Thanksgiving Day , November 27 , 2008 , on Cartoon Network , at 8 : 00 P.M. EST . It followed an afternoon @-@ long marathon of the animated series Chowder and a My Gym Partner 's A Monkey Thanksgiving special entitled " A Thanksgiving Carol " . The first special for the series , entitled " Good Wilt Hunting , " had also aired on Thanksgiving , back in 2006 . At the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards , the special won the award for " Outstanding Animated Program ( for Programming One Hour or More ) " , winning over Spike TV 's Afro Samurai : Resurrection . It was nominated for two Annie Awards for Best Animated Television Production Produced for Children and Directing for an Animated Television Production or Short Form . The special lost both to Nickelodeon 's Avatar : The Last Airbender .
" Destination : Imagination " received generally positive reviews from television critics . Newsarama reporter Steve Fritz called it " one of the best and — well — most imaginative chapters , ever . " Fritz praised Tom Kane and Grey DeLisle 's performance as Mr. Herriman and Frankie , calling it " stellar , " along with the dark and " edgy " undertones of the special .
= Chevrolet Volt =
The Chevrolet Volt is a plug @-@ in hybrid manufactured by General Motors , also marketed in rebadged variants as the Holden Volt in Australia and New Zealand , and with a different fascia as the Vauxhall Ampera in the United Kingdom and as the Opel Ampera in the remainder of Europe .
Sales of the 2011 Volt began in the U.S. in mid @-@ December 2010 followed by various European countries and other international markets in 2011 . Global combined Volt / Ampera family sales totaled over 110 @,@ 000 unit by the end of March 2016 , with the U.S. as the leading market with over 96 @,@ 600 Volts delivered through May 2016 . Canada is the world 's second largest market with almost 6 @,@ 400 Volts sold through May 2016 . About 10 @,@ 000 Opel / Vauxhall Ampera cars had been sold in Europe as of December 2015 , with the Netherlands leading the European region with almost 5 @,@ 000 Amperas and over 1 @,@ 000 Volts registered . The Volt / Ampera family of vehicles is the world 's all @-@ time best @-@ selling plug @-@ in hybrid vehicle as of March 2016 .
The Volt operates as a pure battery electric vehicle until its battery capacity drops to a predetermined threshold from full charge . From there its internal combustion engine powers an electric generator to extend the vehicle 's range as needed . When the engine is running it may be periodically mechanically linked ( by a clutch ) to a planetary gear set , and hence the output drive axle , to improve energy efficiency . The Volt 's regenerative braking also contributes to the on @-@ board electricity generation . Under the United States Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) cycle , the 2013 / 15 model year Volt all @-@ electric range is 38 mi ( 61 km ) , with a combined electric mode / gasoline @-@ only rating of 62 mpg @-@ US ( 3 @.@ 8 L / 100 km ; 74 mpg @-@ imp ) equivalent ( MPG @-@ equivalent ) .
The second generation Volt improved battery system and drivetrain increased the all @-@ electric range to 53 miles ( 85 km ) , its EPA rated fuel economy in charge @-@ sustaining mode to 42 mpg @-@ US ( 5 @.@ 6 L / 100 km ; 50 mpg @-@ imp ) , and the combined city / highway fuel economy in all @-@ electric mode to 106 MPG @-@ e , up from 98 MPG @-@ e . Deliveries to retail customers in the U.S. and Canada began in October 2015 as a 2016 model year .
The Volt has won several awards , including the 2009 Green Car Vision Award , 2011 Green Car of the Year , 2011 North American Car of the Year , 2011 World Green Car , 2012 European Car of the Year , and 2016 Green Car of the Year . Controversies regarding the Volt include the extent to which the U.S. federal government may have participated in the Volt ’ s development , which continued through General Motors ' 2009 government @-@ led bankruptcy , and concerns about the battery pack fire risk following a crash test that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ( NHTSA ) performed on a Volt in 2011 . At the completion of its investigation NHTSA concluded that no discernible defect trend exists .
= = Terminology = =
The Society of Automotive Engineers ' ( SAE ) definition of a hybrid vehicle states that the vehicle shall have " two or more energy storage systems both of which must provide propulsion power , either together or independently . " General Motors has avoided the use of the term " hybrid " when describing its Voltec designs , even after the carmaker revealed that in some cases the combustion engine provided some assist at high speeds or to improve performance . Instead General Motors describes the Volt as an electric vehicle equipped with a " range extending " gasoline powered internal combustion engine ( ICE ) as a genset and therefore dubbed the Volt an " Extended Range Electric Vehicle " or E @-@ REV . In a January 2011 interview , the Chevy Volt 's Global Chief Engineer , Pamela Fletcher , referred to the Volt as " an electric car with extended range . "
According to the Society of Automotive Engineers ( SAE ) definitions , the Volt is a plug @-@ in hybrid vehicle , due to the combination of an internal combustion engine and two electric motors , along with a battery that can accept off @-@ board energy . The Volt operates as a purely electric vehicle for the first 25 to 50 miles ( 40 to 80 km ) in charge @-@ depleting mode . When the battery capacity drops below a pre @-@ established threshold from full charge , the vehicle enters charge @-@ sustaining mode , and the Volt 's control system will select the most optimally efficient drive mode to improve performance and boost high @-@ speed efficiency .
= = History = =
= = = Concept vehicle = = =
The Chevrolet Volt concept car debuted at the January 2007 North American International Auto Show , becoming the first @-@ ever series plug @-@ in hybrid concept car shown by a major car manufacturer . The Volt concept vehicle had four doors with a rear liftgate and seating for four passengers . This was a significant change in design when compared to the General Motors EV1 of the 1990s , which only seated two to reduce weight and to make the necessary room for the lead @-@ acid battery pack . The top speed was also increased on the Volt , from the electronically limited 80 miles per hour ( 130 km / h ) to 100 miles per hour ( 160 km / h ) . The battery pack size was reduced , from about 10 @.@ 6 cu ft ( 300 L ) in volume in the EV1 , to 3 @.@ 5 cu ft ( 100 L ) in the Volt .
General Motors ' then @-@ Vice @-@ Chairman Robert Lutz said the two @-@ seater sports car being developed by Tesla , the Tesla Roadster , and the rapid advancement of lithium @-@ ion battery technology inspired him to push the carmaker to develop the Volt after the 2006 Detroit Auto Show . Lutz 's initial idea was to develop an all @-@ electric car , but Jon Lauckner , General Motors Vice President for Global Vehicle Development , convinced him that to avoid an expensive battery , range anxiety concerns , and lack of public charging infrastructure , they could use a smaller battery pack with a small gasoline engine driving a generator acting as a backup to extend the range , but without a mechanical connection between the gasoline engine and the drive wheels , so it would be a pure electrically driven vehicle without many of the limitations General Motors learned from the EV1 experience .
Most of the Volt initial design parameters defined for the development of the concept car , then referred as the " <unk> " in homage to the iPod , were kept throughout the process up to the final production version . A key design parameter was a target of 40 miles ( 64 km ) for the all @-@ electric range , selected to keep the battery size small and lower costs , and mainly because research showed that in the U.S. 78 percent of daily commuters travel 40 miles or less . This target range would allow most travel to be accomplished electrically driven and the assumption was made that charging will take place at home overnight . This requirement translated using a lithium @-@ ion battery pack with an energy storage capacity of 16 kWh considering that the battery would be used until the state of charge ( SOC ) of the battery reached 30 % . This limit to the SOC was necessary in order to maintain operational performance under a wide range of environments , and to minimize the battery degradation to allow at least a ten @-@ year life span . The initial target range for the gasoline engine / generator was set between 250 to 300 miles ( 400 to 480 km ) and the vehicle had to be family size for four or five passengers .
Another key design decision was to develop the concept car based on a new family of common powertrain components for electric propulsion , which initially was called the E @-@ Flex Systems , “ E ” stands for electric drive and “ Flex ” for the different sources of electricity , but later was renamed Voltec drive system . The E @-@ Flex or Voltec powertrain is an attempt to standardize many components of possible future electrically propelled vehicles , and to allow multiple interchangeable electricity @-@ generating systems . The E @-@ Flex powertrain has the potential to adapt the vehicles to pure battery electric , to fuel cell @-@ powered or to several other sources of energy to create electricity on board , such as engine @-@ generator sets ( genset ) fueled by gasoline , diesel , biodiesel , ethanol fuel ( E100 ) , or flex @-@ fuel ( E85 ) . Regenerative braking would also contribute to the on @-@ board electricity generation . On October 2006 the E @-@ flex powertrain was selected for the new propulsion architecture and the name Volt was chosen by General Motors .
The Volt concept car became the first application of the E @-@ Flex ( Voltec ) drive system with a combination of an electric motor , the same used in the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell , a 16 kW · h ( 58 MJ ) lithium @-@ ion battery pack with 136 kW of peak power , and a genset consisting of a small 1 @.@ 0 L , 3 @-@ cylinder turbocharged flex @-@ fuel capable engine linked to a 53 kW ( 71 hp ) generator . General Motors called this genset an electric vehicle ( EV ) range extender . The vehicle was propelled by an electric motor with a peak output of 120 kW ( 160 hp ) delivering 236 lb ft ( 320 <unk> ) of motoring torque . The concept car featured several advanced materials from GE Automotive Plastics which allowed GM to reduce the vehicle weight up to 50 percent .
The Volt concept featured a 12 US gal ( 45 L ; 10 @.@ 0 imp gal ) fuel capacity providing the vehicle a total driving range of around 640 mi ( 1 @,@ 030 km ) , which considered a gasoline fuel efficiency of about 50 mpg @-@ US ( 4 @.@ 7 L / 100 km ; 60 mpg @-@ imp ) and a 40 mi ( 64 km ) all @-@ electric range . According to General Motors estimates , a daily drive of 60 mi ( 97 km ) , combined with an overnight recharge to support the first 40 all @-@ electric miles , would yield an effective gasoline fuel economy of 150 mpg @-@ US ( 1 @.@ 6 L / 100 km ; 180 mpg @-@ imp ) . General Motors also emphasized that the Volt would further reduce dependence on imported oil if E85 ethanol was used instead of gasoline to power the on @-@ board generator engine . Robert Lutz added that if the driver used E85 , " the fuel economy figure became 525 miles per ( equivalent ) petroleum gallon " , as only 15 % of gasoline is used in this blend . General Motors also noted that actual production of the Volt depended on further battery development , because the required rechargeable batteries needed to make the Volt a viable vehicle did not exist in the market and had yet to be developed . The concept car was actually powered by two 12 @-@ volt conventional car batteries , just enough power to allow the vehicle to move at low speeds in the stand .
= = First generation ( 2010 – 2015 ) = =
= = = Production model = = =
The production design model officially unveiled on September 16 , 2008 , as part of General Motors centennial celebration at the <unk> headquarters in Detroit . The production model differed greatly in design from the original concept car . The carmaker cited necessary aerodynamic changes needed to reduce the concept car 's high drag coefficient of Cd = 0 @.@ 43 down to a more efficient Cd = 0 @.@ 28 , though still somewhat higher than the Toyota Prius Cd = 0 @.@ 25 . Another reason was the use of General Motors ' new global compact vehicle platform Delta II to keep costs reasonable , and shared with the 2010 model year Chevrolet Cruze . Another significant difference from the concept car is the seating , as the production Volt seats four rather than five passengers . This change was due to the higher @-@ than @-@ usual central tunnel that runs from the front console to the rear seat that houses the car 's T @-@ shaped battery pack .
After the concept was put into the pipeline for production , General Motors began looking for a partner to develop the Volt 's lithium @-@ ion battery pack . The carmaker evaluated about twenty @-@ five different battery cell chemistries and constructions from around two dozen lithium @-@ ion battery makers around the world . Due to their more promising cell technologies , two companies were selected in June 2007 , Compact Power ( CPI ) , which uses a lithium manganese oxide ( <unk> ) cell made by its parent company , LG Chemical ; and Continental Automotive Systems , which uses lithium iron phosphate based cylindrical cells made by <unk> . By the end of October 2007 CPI ( LG Chem ) delivered their finished battery pack prototypes , and <unk> delivered theirs by January 2008 . General Motors testing process was conducted at the laboratory the carmaker had created for the GM EV1 program . The battery packs included monitoring systems designed to keep the batteries cool and operating at optimum capacity despite a wide range of ambient temperatures . In order to make sure the battery pack would last ten years and 150 @,@ 000 miles ( 240 @,@ 000 km ) expected for the battery warranty , the Volt team decided to use only half of the 16 kWh capacity to reduce the rate of capacity degradation , limiting the state of charge ( SOC ) up to 80 % of capacity and never depleting the battery below 30 % . General Motors also was expecting the battery could withstand 5 @,@ 000 full discharges without losing more than 10 % of its charge capacity .
In April 2008 General Motors started extensive battery testing . In two years the carmaker put the battery packs to the equivalent of 150 @,@ 000 real @-@ world miles ( 240 @,@ 000 km ) and ten years of use . The durability of the battery pack was tested for a broad range of extreme ambient conditions including a shaker table to simulate potholes and a thermal chamber , to simulate temperatures varying from 116 ° F ( 47 ° C ) , typical of the Southwest deserts , to − 40 ° F ( − 40 ° C ) typical of the Alaska tundra . In April 2008 the lithium @-@ ion battery pack was placed in Chevrolet <unk> fitted with the Volt powertrain to be used as test mules for further real @-@ world testing . In October 2008 General Motors chose CPI ( LG Chemical ) to provide the battery systems for the first production version of the Volt . In July 2008 General Motors confirmed that a non @-@ turbocharged , 1 @.@ 4 L 4 @-@ cylinder engine would be used as the range extender , and that the intention was to build it in Flint , Michigan . In April 2009 , General Motors allowed journalists to test the Volt powertrain in the body of Chevrolet Cruze sedans used as test mules which lacked the range @-@ extending generator at the GM Technical Center in Warren , Michigan .
The first pre @-@ production test car based on the final Volt design was built in June 2009 , in Warren , Michigan , and by October 2009 , 80 Volts had been built and were tested under various conditions . On March 31 , 2010 , the first factory @-@ built Volt was produced at the Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant in order to test the production line and for quality control purposes , both of the tooling and the pre @-@ production vehicles produced before regular production began .
Tony <unk> was the Volt Vehicle Line Director from 2006 to 2012 , and he was known as employee # 1 and led the team from concept to production .
Official introduction
General Motors held a ceremony at its Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant on November 30 , 2010 , to introduce the first Chevrolet Volt off the assembly line . The first Volt built for retail sale was earmarked for display at General Motors ' Heritage Center museum in Sterling Heights , Michigan . The second unit was offered at a public auction , with an opening bid of US $ 50 @,@ 000 and it was won by Rick Hendrick who paid US $ 225 @,@ 000 . The proceeds went to fund math and sciences education in Detroit through the Detroit Public Schools Foundation . Deliveries to retail customers in the United States began in mid December 2010 . Volt deliveries began in Canada in September 2011 . The first deliveries of the Chevrolet Volt in Europe took place in November 2011 . The European version of the Volt , the Opel Ampera , was released to retail customers in Europe in February 2012 . Deliveries of the right @-@ hand drive Vauxhall Ampera in the UK began in May 2012 . The Holden Volt was released in Australia in December 2012 .
= = = Specifications = = =
= = = = Drivetrain = = = =
The 2011 Chevrolet Volt has a 16 kWh / 45 A · h ( 10 @.@ 4 kWh usable ) lithium @-@ ion battery pack that can be charged by plugging the car into a 120 @-@ 240 VAC residential electrical outlet using the provided SAE J1772 @-@ compliant charging cord . No external charging station is required . The Volt is propelled by an electric motor with a peak output of 111 kW ( 149 hp ) delivering 273 lb · ft ( 370 N · m ) of torque . Capacity of the battery pack was increased to 16 @.@ 5 kWh ( 10 @.@ 9 kWh usable ) for 2013 models , which increased the all @-@ electric range from 35 to 38 mi ( 56 to 61 km ) . Other specifications remained the same . The battery pack capacity was increased to 17 @.@ 1 kWh for 2015 models . This incremental upgrade is likely to reflect in an improvement in range over previous model years , but as of July 2014 , the 2015 Volt has not been re @-@ certified with the EPA .
While driving , after the Volt battery has dropped to a predetermined threshold from full charge , a small naturally aspirated 1 @.@ 4 L 4 @-@ cylinder gasoline fueled internal combustion engine ( Opel 's Family 0 ) with approximately 80 hp ( 60 kW ) , powers a 55 kW generator to extend the Volt 's range . The vehicle also has a regenerative braking system . The electrical power from the generator is sent primarily to the electric motor , with the excess going to the batteries , depending on the state of charge ( SOC ) of the battery pack and the power demanded at the wheels .
The Volt requires premium gasoline with a minimum 91 or octane rating because the higher octane rating fuel permits the 10 @.@ 5 : 1 compression ratio engine to utilize more ignition timing advance in order to maximize its fuel efficiency by 5 to 10 % as compared to regular gasoline . For users who drive mostly in electric mode and to avoid maintenance problems caused by storing the same gasoline in the tank for months , the 2011 Volt has a sealed and pressurized fuel tank to avoid evaporation , and as a result , the fuel filler has to be depressurized before opening the tank . Also the engine management system monitors the time between engine running and it is programmed to prompt the driver to run past the 40 @-@ mile ( 64 km ) all @-@ electric range before recharging in order to consume some gasoline . If the driver does not run on gasoline , the system will automatically run the maintenance mode which starts the engine to consume some of the aging fuel and circulate the fluids within the engine . A configuration with an E85 flex @-@ fuel capable engine is under development and was expected to be available in 2013 .
Operating and driving modes
The Voltec drivetrain has three power converting elements :
Primary traction electric motor / generator , provides good acceleration for driving at lower speeds and regeneration for braking , its maximum output of 111 kW setting the maximum output of the whole system .
Secondary electric motor / generator , works primarily as generator capable of producing 55 kW or when necessary acts as a motor assisting the primary electric motor .
Internal combustion engine of 63 kW power , engaged when the batteries reach the predetermined threshold .
These units are connected via a planetary gear and three electrically controlled hydraulic clutches to provide power output for propulsion in any of four programmed operating modes :
Single motor electric – The primary motor runs solely on battery power , maximum propulsion power is 111 kW .
Dual motor electric – At higher vehicle speeds the secondary motor engages over the planetary gear such that it reduces the speed of the primary motor . This facilitates higher efficiency and better mileage for the combined system , without increasing the maximum power .
Single motor extended – The battery reaches its minimum charge which triggers the combustion engine . The engine drives the secondary motor which now works as a generator , via the charging electronics , to keep the minimum battery charge level . The primary motor can still provide its 111 kW for short acceleration , albeit not sustained .
Dual motor extended – The electric motors are used again in dual configuration with increased efficiency at higher speeds . Additionally the gasoline engine contributes propulsion power via the planetary gear . While power is drained from the battery the amount is less than in mode 2 for the same propulsion power , thus extending the range .
The drivetrain permits the Volt to operate as a pure battery electric vehicle until its battery capacity has been depleted to a defined level , at which time it commences to operate as a series hybrid design where the gasoline engine drives the generator , which keeps the battery at minimum level charge and provides power to the electric motors . The full charge of the battery is replenished only by loading it on the electrical grid .
While in this series mode at higher speeds and loads , ( typically above 30 miles per hour ( 48 km / h ) at light to moderate loads ) the gasoline engine can engage mechanically to the output from the transmission and assist both electric motors in driving the wheels , in which case the Volt operates as a power @-@ split or series @-@ parallel hybrid . After its all @-@ electric range has been depleted , at speeds between 30 to 70 miles per hour ( 48 to 113 km / h ) , the Volt is programmed to select the most efficient drive mode , which improves performance and boosts high @-@ speed efficiency by 10 to 15 percent .
While operating modes are switched automatically the Volt allows the driver to choose from three drive modes : normal , sport and mountain . The mountain mode , which is expected to be required only under unusual power demand conditions , increases minimum battery state of charge ( SOC ) to around 45 % , thus maintaining performance on steep and long grades . The driver will hear more engine noise due to the higher rate of power generation required to maintain this mode . The sport mode causes the engine to rev higher , and the response to the throttle pedal is quicker . The Ampera has an additional option , the " City Mode " or " battery hold " , allowing the driver to save the energy currently stored in the battery for use when traveling in urban areas or restricted zones . The 2013 model year Volt includes a " Hold " option to provide the same choice .