|
A few months back I wrote an article featuring the Chevy Volt, the latest and greatest in the world of electric autos. At the time it was widely believed that the Volt would be capable of getting around 60 or 70 mpg, but that has changed in a big way. Chevy has now calculated that the Volt will be capable of 230 mpg or the equivalent of that in comparison to an auto with a gasoline engine. What does all of this mean? Is it too good to be true? Let’s take a look at how Chevrolet calculated these numbers and find out for sure if the Volt is indeed a trendsetter.
Changes Ahead?
It should be said again that the Volt is not a hybrid, but rather it is an extended range hybrid auto. In other words, it runs primarily on electricity and occasionally uses a small gasoline motor. What is expected to make the Volt special is the fact that it will be able to run much longer than its competition on a single charge. In the case of a pure electric auto, miles per gallon doesn’t technically exist, but rather it is used to come up with an equivalent rating as if the auto had a standard internal combustion engine. The Volt is expected to reach showroom floors sometime in late 2010, but will it carry the same hefty miles per gallon rating they are boasting now?
In the U.S., an auto’s mpg rating is determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA is pretty “hush hush” on how they come to these conclusions, but typically an auto can get more or less fuel mileage than what is on the sticker in the lot. In the case of the Volt, the EPA has yet to evaluate the auto, but rather, it was Chevrolet who came out claiming that it would get somewhere in the range of 230 mpg. Chevy did so by using the EPA’s standards for evaluating plug-in hybrid autos and real world driving tests. The trouble with Chevy’s evaluation procedures is that the EPA has yet to even come up with a procedure to evaluate the Volt specifically.
A Possible Conclusion
There is one possible conclusion on how Chevrolet came up with the 230 mpg rating without the EPA’s input. According to GM-Volt.com, a website that is not affiliated with GM in any way, shape or form, procedures for evaluating the Volt will be similar to how the EPA evaluates other hybrids. One would figure that if the same system is used to evaluate the Volt as other hybrids, the Volt may in fact be quite impressive in terms of fuel mileage numbers, but again, that remains to be seen until official testing begins.
Look at it this way: when the EPA tests an auto, it will use an 11 mile course in order to gauge an auto’s fuel mileage in the city. In theory, the Volt’s gasoline engine will be running during the city test, which will also help to recharge its batteries. In 2007, GM stated that a concept version of the Volt would get around 50 mpg during this recharge mode while driving around the city. According to the above mentioned website, the Volt would use roughly .22 gallons of gasoline throughout the eleven mile test course. If one does the math, this equals out to 231.8 mpg.
Grain Of Salt
Of course, this should be taken with a grain of salt. As I said above, the EPA has yet to release anything in concern to testing the Volt’s fuel mileage capabilities and like any auto (not just a Chevy, for example), a manufacturer may trump up their fuel mileage numbers for more press. Never the less, stay tuned for more concerning the Volt as time moves forward.
With that said, it should be expected that the Chevy Volt will not get 230 mpg when it officially hits dealerships in late 2010. Still, the numbers should be quite impressive. Some at Chevrolet believe that on the highway the Volt will easily hit triple digits in fuel mileage.
|
|
|
|
