General Motors’ hybrid cars, including the Chevrolet Volt, will soon benefit from an enhanced smart pedal technology.
Known as brake override, it modifies existing electronic controls in an effort to reduce the power to the engine when the brake and accelerator are depressed at the same time. In the case of electric and hybrid cars, the system operates in the same way as an internal combustion engine as the brake override works with the hybrid controller and pulls out electric motor command to reduce the torque from the battery. It is expected that the system will be included in the Volt from its launch.
The company has been working on brake performance standards for several years and has enabled brake override in the Chevrolet Corvette; Camaro V8; Malibu L4; HHR; Colorado V8; Cobalt; the Cadillac CTS-V and STS-V; and the GMC Canyon.
GM is expected to expand use of the system to all passenger cars with automatic transmissions and electronic throttle control with a global rollout by the end of 2012.
