GM Claims Chevy Volt Will Score 230 MPG Rating for City Driving
As Edmunds Auto Observer reported, GM recently stated that its upcoming Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car will score an eye-opening EPA city fuel economy estimate of 230 mpg. That figure is based on the assumption that the car will be driven entirely in electric mode in the city, and thus is the energy equivalent of driving 230 miles on a gallon of gasoline. Though both highway and the more telling "combined" figures have yet to be worked out, GM Chief Executive Fritz Henderson claims that the Volt will get in excess of 100 mpg for the combined estimate: "I'm confident that we will be in triple digits."
The Volt can travel up to 40 miles on a charge and unlike conventional pure electric cars has a back-up -- a small gasoline engine that will kick in if the battery pack's charge runs out. The engine powers the Volt's electric motor until the driver can find another outlet to recharge its battery pack.
As nearly 80 percent of Americans commute less than 40 miles a day, GM and the EPA see the gas engine's usage, and hence gasoline consumption, as being extremely rare, hence the high fuel economy estimates. Charging the Volt at home overnight (during off-peak hours) would cost only about 40 cents for a full charge, according to Fritz. For a more in-depth look at the Volt's inner workings, check out this Green Car Advisor article.
The Chevrolet Volt is expected to debut for 2011 with pricing rumored to be around $40,000.
- Posted by
- John DiPietro August 11, 2009, 9:38 AM
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- Automotive Consumer News, Automotive Technology, Chevrolet, Fuel Economy, Hybrids and Alternative Fuels
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- 230 mpg, Chevrolet Volt, Electric Car, EPA
40K? Seriously?
I can't find a shovel big enough.
I'll believe it when I read the real world test drives (ie. not a 3 mile "drive" at 13 MPH on a closed test track).