Chevy Volt Given EPA Rating of 230 mpg

Earlier this week General Motors announced that the Chevrolet Volt had received its highway and combined mileage ratings from the Environmental Protection Agency.

A first

At LotPro.com, we love cars that get great fuel economy. So it was with keen interest that we read this week that General Motors had announced that the Chevrolet Volt had become the first mass-produced vehicle to claim more than 100 mpg in the composite fuel economy rating. The EPA results also showed an electrical efficiency rating of 25 kilowatt hours/100 miles in the city cycle (equivalent to 230 miles per gallon).

Unlike conventional gasoline engines, the mileage testing on the Volt was performed using a new set of fuel economy standards that has been devised by the EPA specifically for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs).

The EPA’s new methodology for PHEVs places more weight on the city driving cycle and uses kilowatt hours per 100 miles traveled, as opposed to miles per gallon, to define the efficiency of plug-ins (as in the aforementioned 25 kWh/100 miles). Given the current cost of electricity (11 cents per kWh), a Volt owner would pay about $2.75 for the amount of electricity it would take to travel 100 miles – an average of about 3 cents per mile.

The Volt

The Volt, you will remember, is GM’s most recent foray into the realm of pure electric vehicles and it is scheduled to start production near the end of next year and will be designated as a 2011 model. According to company estimates (using pre-production prototypes), it is expected to travel up to 40 miles on electricity alone from a single battery charge with an overall range of more than 300 miles through the use of a flex fuel-powered engine-generator.

“From the data we’ve seen, many Chevy Volt drivers may be able to be in pure electric mode on a daily basis without having to use any gas,” said GM Chief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson. “EPA labels are a yardstick for customers to compare the fuel efficiency of vehicles. So, a vehicle like the Volt that achieves a composite triple-digit fuel economy is a game-changer.”

The numbers

“The 230 city mpg number is a great indication of the capabilities of the Volt’s electric propulsion system and its ability to displace gasoline,” said Frank Weber, global vehicle line executive for the Volt. “Actual testing with production vehicles will occur next year closer to vehicle launch. However, we are very encouraged by this development, and we also think that it is important to continue to share our findings in real time, as we have with other aspects of the Volt’s development.”

Images courtesy of General Motors

Tags: Chevrolet, chevrolet volt, chevy, chevy volt, environmental protection agency, EPA, Fuel Economy, general motors, gm, phev, plug in hybrid electric vehicle