Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Chevrolet, GM
2011 Chevy Volt one step closer to being rated at 100+ mpg
Click above to view high-res gallery of the 2011 Chevy Volt
According to General Motors E-Flex spokesman Rob Peterson, the automaker has reached an agreement with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that would see the 2011 Chevy Volt get a unique classification different from other current hybrids. This new classification takes into account the fact that the Volt's 40-mile battery range allows it to complete the bulk of the emissions and economy test procedure without ever running the engine, which would likely give it a mpg rating of 100 mpg or better.
This is problematic for the EPA, which considers dual-power vehicles like the series hybrid Volt no different than a parallel hybrid like the Prius. Currently the EPA is expecting the Volt to complete the test cycle with a charged battery, which means the engine would have to run a lot more and essentially kill the charge sustaining control plan. According to Peterson, GM is still a long way from reaching an agreement with the feds on how to test the Volt, despite what the Detroit Free Press says. However, having CARB consider the Volt essentially an electric car is certainly a bargaining chip in GM's favor.
Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt - Live Reveal
[Source: The Detroit Free Press, AutoblogGreen]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Virginia Wolf 4:04PM (9/26/2008)
So NOW GM like California. Funny how GM is suing California because they say that only EPA can set MPGs.
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No Welfare For GM, No Wait, Virginia Wolfs Troll 5:04PM (9/26/2008)
I hate GM. GM is the devil. Bob Lutz should have a thorny tail, horns and pitch fork. GM is the root of all evil. GM is the only car company in the world that has ever done anything wrong. "General Motors", when translated into Latin, is called "Automotivus Suckithus".
I could go on, but I don't want to waste the strength of my right hand to typing.
KeatMP 5:25PM (9/26/2008)
Wow, yall are d bags.
MoonRover 5:58PM (9/26/2008)
No Welfare For GM, No Wait, Virginia Wolfs Troll @ Sep 26th 2008 5:04PM
I hate GM. GM is the devil. Bob Lutz should have a thorny tail, horns and pitch fork. GM is the root of all evil. GM is the only car company in the world that has ever done anything wrong. "General Motors", when translated into Latin, is called "Automotivus Suckithus".
I could go on, but I don't want to waste the strength of my right hand to typing.
--------------------------------------------------
I'll say it again, Stupidity is not genetic, you can be helped.
EnviroBob 8:48PM (9/26/2008)
Hey Vagina Wolfe's Troll,
I think your sarcasm is lost on some people.
Russell 4:11PM (9/26/2008)
This is a unique car that deserves unique rating.
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Temple 6:15PM (9/26/2008)
Not really. . .
It should say as mileage "X mpg on gas-hybrid mode and can travel 40 miles on electric mode fully charged".
Its not a spec race, its about properly informing the consumer about their purchase. Its not really getting 100mpg+, it may even use no gas at all if the person doesn't drive over 40 miles between charges, these ratings should best reflect accurate data and specs, not a manipulation of numbers.
In fact, the truth sounds more impressive.
Todd 4:11PM (9/26/2008)
I wonder how that thing would drive on the US06 test.
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LMBVette 4:16PM (9/26/2008)
So where are all the "haters" claiming vaporware?
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Torrent 4:18PM (9/26/2008)
rotting somewhere.
henrykrinkle 5:07PM (9/26/2008)
They're out driving. But they're not driving Volts.
elpepe 4:16PM (9/26/2008)
Why make this so complicated? Simply have two ratings for the car, one when running on electricity alone, and one when the gas engine needs to run. Anything else gives you arbitrary results depending on how long you test it for.
A new type of car, a new type of rating.
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Injected 4:38PM (9/26/2008)
Sure.
Infinity/50 mpg
Combined mpg: Infinity minus 50mpg (still Infinity for those not mathematically inclined).
elpepe 4:41PM (9/26/2008)
mmmmm.... no. Howabout this;
First 40 miles; 3 miles /kWh
After first 40 miles; 25 miles /gallon
Judy Zik 4:59PM (9/26/2008)
+1 elpep
Calling this a 100mpg vehicle or testing it based on the standard tests really doesn't give you the story. What if you made a Volt style Hummer that used Electricity for the first 10-20 miles then fired up a big honking V12 monster engine. Should that qualify as just as efficient since it runs on electricity only for the first part of the journey? We need some way of comparing it to other similar vehicles. For instance if a plug in Prius is released or any other plug in Hybrid for that matter.
All of these vehicles use energy one way or another be it electricity or gas and consumers need a way to compare them.
Bungle 7:06PM (9/26/2008)
Exactly. "Miles per gallon" is at times irrelevant because there are periods when this car isn't using any gallons of anything. Different driving styles also lead to radically different fuel consumption.
Gas-powered cars should retain MPG, purely electric cars should adopt MPkWh (miles per kilowatt-hour), and plug-in hybrids should adopt, fittingly, a hybrid rating: MPkWh for X miles on a full charge, and MPG after the gasoline switchover.
The latter would eliminate any variables of driving distance, semi- vs. full charge, commute times, etc. Consumers will gradually adjust to instinctively understand what constitutes an acceptable MPkWh rating and electric-only maximum range for their needs.
tekd 11:47PM (9/26/2008)
Injected, it's not Infinity minus 50 since you didn't drive infinite miles and you figure out MPG by taking the miles you drove and dividing over the gallons you've burned.
Not that it matters
zamafir 4:18PM (9/26/2008)
I'm glad to see the continued cooperation between GM and CARB running smoothly, said cooperation yielded great results with the EV1 program. Nothing but good can come of this as it has in the past.
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damian 4:19PM (9/26/2008)
For hybrids they should have a graph that plots MPG against avg commute time/distance.
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B 4:25PM (9/26/2008)
2011 Chevy Volt one step closer to being rated at 100+ mpg...
Hmmm, that puts me one step closer to buying one instead of FOURTY-THOUSAND dollars worth of fuel for my current car....
Oh wait...I'd be saving the world...
Oh wait...
Too pessimistic? Probably...maybe...
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