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In this Wednesday, Aug. 5,
2009 file photo, Vice President Joe Biden looks over a Volt
concept vehicle after addressing an audience in Detroit.
General Motors Corp. said Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009 that its
Chevrolet Volt rechargeable electric car should get 230
miles per gallon of gasoline in city driving, more than four
times the mileage of the current champion, the Toyota Prius.
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, file) |
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Chevrolet
Volt
Expects
230 mpg
in City
Driving
●
First
mass-produced
vehicle
to claim
more
than 100
mpg
composite
fuel
economy
●
Tentative
EPA
methodology
results
show 25
kilowatt
hours/100
miles
electrical
efficiency
in city
cycle
●
Plugging
in daily
is key
to
high-mileage
performance
WARREN,
Mich. -
The
Chevrolet
Volt
extended-range
electric
vehicle
is
expected
to
achieve
city
fuel
economy
of at
least
230
miles
per
gallon,
based on
development
testing
using a
draft
EPA
federal
fuel
economy
methodology
for
labeling
for
plug-in
electric
vehicles.
The
Volt,
which is
scheduled
to start
production
in late
2010 as
a 2011
model,
is
expected
to
travel
up to 40
miles on
electricity
from a
single
battery
charge
and be
able to
extend
its
overall
range to
more
than 300
miles
with its
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."
According
to U.S.
Department
of
Transportation
data,
nearly
eight of
10
Americans
commute
fewer
than 40
miles a
day
http://tinyurl.com/U-S-DOTStudy
.
"The key
to
high-mileage
performance
is for a
Volt
driver
to plug
into the
electric
grid at
least
once
each
day,"
Henderson
said.
Volt
drivers'
actual
gas-free
mileage
will
vary
depending
on how
far they
travel
and
other
factors,
such as
how much
cargo or
how many
passengers
they
carry
and how
much the
air
conditioner
or other
accessories
are
used.
Based on
the
results
of
unofficial
development
testing
of
pre-production
prototypes,
the Volt
has
achieved
40 miles
of
electric-only,
petroleum-free
driving
in both
EPA city
and
highway
test
cycles.
Under
the new
methodology
being
developed,
EPA
weights
plug-in
electric
vehicles
as
traveling
more
city
miles
than
highway
miles on
only
electricity.
The EPA
methodology
uses
kilowatt
hours
per 100
miles
traveled
to
define
the
electrical
efficiency
of
plug-ins.
Applying
EPA's
methodology,
GM
expects
the Volt
to
consume
as
little
as 25
kilowatt
hours
per 100
miles in
city
driving.
At the
U.S.
average
cost of
electricity
(approximately
11 cents
per
kWh), a
typical
Volt
driver
would
pay
about
$2.75
for
electricity
to
travel
100
miles,
or less
than 3
cents
per
mile.
The
Chevrolet
Volt
uses
grid
electricity
as its
primary
source
of
energy
to
propel
the car.
There
are two
modes of
operation:
Electric
and
Extended-Range.
In
electric
mode,
the Volt
will not
use
gasoline
or
produce
tailpipe
emissions
when
driving.
During
this
primary
mode of
operation,
the Volt
is
powered
by
electrical
energy
stored
in its
16 kWh
lithium-ion
battery
pack.
When the
battery
reaches
a
minimum
state of
charge,
the Volt
automatically
switches
to
Extended-Range
mode. In
this
secondary
mode of
operation,
an
engine-generator
produces
electricity
to power
the
vehicle.
The
energy
stored
in the
battery
supplements
the
engine-generator
when
additional
power is
needed
during
heavy
accelerations
or on
steep
inclines.
"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."
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