Zr1x

[Jeffrey S.]

Yesterday I had the unique good fortune to have a friend and fellow Michigan Chapter member who is an engineer that works at the GM Proving Grounds in Milford, bring a pre-production ZR1X prototype to my house for me to inspect and get a ride. Since it is a pre-production car, not a captured test fleet car, I was not allowed to drive it but he was allowed to take me for a ride (I purposely am not using his name). We started out just driving normally on local streets until we got to a major north/south 4 lane road that has a 50 mph speed limit. He told me he would warn me when he was going to aggressively accelerate. I thought he was being a bit over cautious. We stopped at a traffic light and waited for the traffic to clear ahead and he said "OK, I'm going to hit it". HOLY S..T!! I have never felt anything like this in my life!!! I was this close to passing out. The acceleration and g forces were so incredible that everything became a blur. And we only went form 0 to about 55 miles per hour since he did not want to break any speed laws. He told me that even when he is testing at Milford, he can only do this about 2 or 3 times a day or things get very disorienting even for him. I'm afraid to think how many regular guys like me who have the means to buy this "monster" will take this out on a highway and open it up and black out and kill themselves, or worse, someone else. It is incredible!!
Jeff

[Terry M.]

I had the pleasure of spending some time with this Hysteria Purple car at the Michigan Chapter event just before Jeff got his ride. This is a very remarkable car.

[Jeffrey S.]

I also took some pictures of this car next to my 69 (which I was told I could not post anywhere) and realized that the HP of this car is 4 times that of my 69 300 HP car- 1200 vs. 300. Yikes!

[Tom D.]

I had the pleasure of spending some time with this Hysteria Purple car at the Michigan Chapter event just before Jeff got his ride. This is a very remarkable car.

Thanks for taking the time for the MI Chapter!

[Terry M.]

Thanks for taking the time for the MI Chapter!

Tom - missed you there. It was a good chance to catch up with my Michigan friends and learn about flexible steering couplings. The ZR1X was an unexpected bonus. Those bonuses are what makes the Michigan Chapter unique.

[Chris G.]

Hi guys, I am the Test Engineer that brought the beautiful and amazing Hysteria Purple ZR1X to our Michigan NCRS Chapter meeting from the Milford Proving Grounds. I absolutely love allowing others enjoy seeing and riding in these cars that otherwise may never get a chance in their life time! Jeff, thank you for a wonderful post. I will try as many times as I can to bring again to some of our Michigan meetings. I am so glad everyone enjoyed it! I may not be able to bring it to our Oct 11 meeting because others need to drive it also.
Chris

[Gary C.]

Chris,

Wow. Glad you're a NCRS member as well as GM engineer getting to drive new Corvettes such as the awesome ZR1X.

Perhaps you can lend a hand on a question NCRS has about satisfying Fire Marshal requirements on the E-Ray & ZR1X and hopefully you won't mind.

Fire Marshals under the IFC require that E-Ray and ZR1X require: "Batteries in electric vehicles shall be rendered inoperable by the removal of fuses or other approved methods, but shall not be required to be disconnected.

Attached is the handout we've put together regarding how to "render an E-Ray & ZR1X inoperable" and would appreciate your review and comments.

E-Ray ZR1X Battery Disconnect Handout.jpg

Thank you very much in advance. Regards and keep developing/driving those awesome new Corvettes.

Gary
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[Michael J.]

Yes, very interesting and as expected, the automobile manufacturers will continue to use better and more creative technology and engineering to push the performance of their new models, as they always have, except in the malaise era. And of course, the joys of youth to be seeking and desiring that as well.

Having taken a C6 and C7 ZR1 to the Texas Mile to join the 200 MPH Club, I do remember what that feels like, even though those were pitifully low on HP compared to this new offering, one does have to try and imagine what a top speed would be with this new variant, hopefully someone will go to a flying mile and report.

Hopefully, most people who can afford this model are also rich in age and experience, but young enough to be capable, of handling this kind of HP. If not, disasters are sure to come on the streets of America. I talked to a 50 something guy at a recent cars and coffee event and he spent 20 minutes reviewing the extensive performance mods on his C5 to push near 900 HP. He also regaled me with his tales of his many stop light Grand Prix challenge races around town with Challengers and Shelbys. His personalized license plate read: "DonTryIt". Hopefully ones like him will get a hold of this new model.

Frankly at my age, I am happy to cruise along with my wife, at the speed limit, on the beautiful mountain roads and switchbacks or long straight aways of the interstates, in my new Z06 or my fully loaded '66 tanker, listening to the stock radios playing my Spotify play list of my favorite songs. I guess I am getting old.......

[Mark D.]

Guy Mabee has one on order. I look forward to making myself pass out!

[Chris G.]

Hi Gary - Comment on your HVSL switch picture used in Electric vehicles. I am not sure what the main purpose is here? Documenting disabling 12V and High Voltage? You might want to make reference to Low Voltage battery and High Voltage battery. We often open this switch after a fault test to help recover the Hybrid functionality in our Hybrid Corvettes and full electric vehicles. They have to be placed in the same front quarter area of our electric vehicles. Without divulging too much here, this switch open circuits an 12V interlock loop between the high voltage battery controller and the power inverter, thus forces removal of high voltage, contactors open. I have been testing Electric Propulsion systems for the last 30 years at GM. I hope this helps, I can’t supply too much information here.
Chris

[Gary C.]

Chris,

Thank you very much for your reply and confirmation.

Yes, the objective was to confirm that the HVSL does disable the high voltage to the front wheel electric drive system.

The screenshot is a handout the Texas Chapter will use for ZR1X & E-Rays in addition to the normal 12v battery disconnect.

Appreciate you sharing your experience and confirming that's the correct process.👍 Thanks again.

Gary
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[Terry M.]

Question for Chris, just a little off topic.

I remember at the NCM Bash when the Eray was under development that a presenter said it was a chargeable by cord to 70% and then the rest of the charge to 100% had to come from regeneration.

Is the Eray battery chargeable by cord at all?
Same question for the ZR1X.

[Gary C.]

Terry,

Per GM Techlink website - neither the E-Ray nor ZR1X are plug-in hybrids. Their small, 1.9-kWh battery is charged by the V8 gas engine and through regenerative braking. You can use a battery tender to maintain the 12-volt battery, but this is different from charging the hybrid system's main battery.

Gary
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[Terry M.]

Terry,

Per GM Techlink website - neither the E-Ray nor ZR1X are plug-in hybrids. Their small, 1.9-kWh battery is charged by the V8 gas engine and through regenerative braking. You can use a battery tender to maintain the 12-volt battery, but this is different from charging the hybrid system's main battery.

Gary
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The history of that cord charging idea, if it ever was functional on any of the pre-production Eray's, and why it was not produced is of some interest to me. I may be the only person on the planet interested in this, but Chris may be one of the few people in a position to enlighten this obscure area of Eray development.

Or maybe my memory is way off, but this is some feature I remember distinctly.

Of course this may be among the many things those who know aren't allowed to tell us. I have knocked on that door in the past with several other GM employees. That door never opens.

[Chris G.]

Terry and Gary, in response to how the Hybrid Corvettes (eRay and ZR1X) 1.9Kw high voltage battery is recharged can only be done by moving the front wheels thus spinning the front electric as a generator or yes as you guys said regenerative braking. There is also an interior button the driver can quickly press the engage “Charge Plus” mode that will very quickly recharge the high voltage battery. This Charge Plus” mode will recharge at any speed in a couple miles, and will be felt as an additional drag on the vehicle by the passengers. No plugin charging. Hybrid Corvettes are industry HEV’S (Hybrid Electric Vehicles) not PHEV’S (Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicles). Sorry Terry there never was any planned plugin charging or development ones either. If there was a AC looking plug hanging out the front end of the development cars, that was just 12Volt battery tender as Gary stated. I don’t like to say the high voltage hybrid battery is charged by the V8 engine because that confuses non-technical people that just running the engine will charge it. We like to say it’s charged by moving the front wheels thus spinning the electric motor because above 150mph (for eRay) or 160mph (ZR1X)the electric motor’s front clutch has to be opened (motor disconnects from drive axles) and can no longer use the motor until speed is reduced to reapply the clutch. This is one of my tests I have to validate. Hope this helps? So Terry you were almost right. Very good info from Gary!