Thanks for clearing that up. I guess the way it had been to me was the "simple way", which may be easier for some people to understand, but isn't exactly correct. The main point is that it's 100% electric drive and the ICE isn't mechanically connected to the drivetrain.

 

An interesting 'thought experiment' is to try and put a single, highway speed, drive shaft from the engine to the wheels. The complexity becomes daunting:

• clutch
• differential
• slip mechanism to deal with wheel defection relative to body

In theory, a single speed drive shaft would allow the ICE to couple to a pair of drive wheels. However, the additional weight and space as well as the more complicated control laws soon makes this impractical.

Bob Wilson

 

BigTuna-
Just got an email from Chevy. Actually, we were both right. The ICE does generate current that runs to the wheels, but it also charges the battery, in case you need a surge of power. At least that's what I got out of this. It's not really clear to me.

 

Exactly correct. Any extra energy would of course be used to charge batts rather than be wasted. That is why I used the word "primary"...