On electric its great! On gas, it kinda sucks for the price.
Wayne Gerdes -
CleanMPG - Nov. 24, 2010
2011 Chevrolet Volt - 93 mpgUSe (equivalent) and 37 mpgUS combined (35/40 city/highway) on the gas engine per its EPA Monroney Sticker
While I missed the GM audio conference regarding the Volt’s finalized EPA Fuel Economy Labeling and Data an hour ago, the Volts numbers were finally released within the GM media organization a few minutes ago.
When the Volt arrives, it will have an all-new fuel economy label in an attempt to educate the average consumer on what they may or may not receive when driving the Volt under its all-electric Charge Depletion (CD) mode and its all-gasoline based Charge Sustaining (CS) or hybrid mode of operation. All told, the Volt’s energy
or fuel efficiency depends on how you fuel it.
The EPA consulted with GM to design a new label to help consumers understand what to expect when they drive the Volt. Prior to the advent of plug-in cars like the Volt, Prius or any other number of EV’s including the LEAF and others from years gone by, calculating fuel economy was simply a matter of filling the tank with fuel, driving the vehicle and dividing the distance by the amount of fuel consumed.
Calculating for the EPA and CARB is a lot more stringent than that but you know what they mean.
PHEVs still use energy so the MPG equivalent (MPGe) is determined by measuring electricity use and converting it based on the energy content in a gallon of gasoline. This MPGe rating allows consumers to compare the Volt’s efficiency to other cars in its segment.
According to GM, classifying the Chevrolet Volt was difficult because it uses two energy sources – either electricity from the grid or gasoline from the pump. The mix depends on how far you drive and how often you charge the battery. Based on EPA test procedures, Volt owners can expect an all-electric battery range of up to 35 miles and while on the engine,
up to 344 total miles. This was calculated from the Volt’s EPA combined fuel economy on gasoline at 37 mpgUS while consuming all of its gasoline supply from the Volt’s 9.3 gallon tank.
With a full tank of gas and a fully charged battery, the Volt can travel an estimated 379 miles. As an electric vehicle the Volt offers consumers the best of the best. In no uncertain terms, no gasoline consumption whatsoever!
The Volt’s EPA/Monroney Label Explained
MPG Equivalent
The MPG equivalent (MPGe) rating enables consumers to compare the pure EV operating efficiency of electric vehicles against traditional cars that use gasoline-powered internal combustion engines in the same vehicle class. The vehicle’s all electric range is indicated below the MPGe rating.
Gas Only
When the Volt’s battery is depleted and the vehicle is operating in extended range mode, it consumes fuel from the on-board internal combustion engine. The fuel economy rating in this box can be directly compared to traditional gasoline-powered vehicles in the same size class. Since a majority of Volt owners will try to use their car in pure EV mode for daily commuting, this number may have little relevance. Still, the Volt does provide respectable fuel economy in extended range operation.
How This Vehicle Compares
This chart shows how the Volt and other electric vehicles compare with traditional gasoline-powered vehicles in terms of overall efficiency, along with tailpipe emission performance. The composite fuel economy number is based on a blend of electric and range-extended driving.
Examples: Charging Routines
This chart estimates overall fuel economy, electricity consumed and total energy costs of operating the Volt and other electric vehicles at various mileage intervals. For example, if a customer travels 30 miles between charges each day, they will likely never consume any fuel, but they will use 10.9 kWh of electricity at an estimated cost of 4 cents per mile. If the customer never charges the vehicle, they will likely achieve fuel economy of 37MPG and consume no electricity, costing upwards of 9 cents per mile.
Linear Mode
