EPA ratings for Chevy volt put it ahead of Prius in fuel economy

After being named the green car for the year 2011, here comes the EPA rating for Chevy volt. The EPA fuel economy ratings for the gas-electric four-seater sedan puts it at 60mpg combined "miles per gallon equivalent”, 93mpg combined city/highway on electric, 37mpg for gas only driving, a range of 35miles on full battery charge and 379 miles of total range. All these figures indicate that Chevy volt has 20% better fuel economy rates than Toyota Prius.

chevy volt

Volt is equipped with 400-pound lithium-ion battery pack that drives it 35miles on single charge and after that much distance a 1.4-liter gasoline engine kicks in to run a generator that charges the battery. On the other, the EPA badge also shows the cost to run the Volt in US can vary from 4 cents a mile if the gasoline engine is never used to 9 cents a mile if the battery is never charged. Chevy Volt to hit showrooms in some parts of the US in December this year, with an estimated price tag of around $41,000.

epa ratings for chevy volt 1

Press Release

When the 2011 Volt begins arriving in Chevrolet showrooms over the next few weeks it will have an all-new fuel economy label to go with its unique propulsion system.

With its ability to operate completely gasoline- and emissions-free for 25 to 50 miles and then continue indefinitely with its range- extending engine, the Volt’s energy efficiency depends on how you use it.

Because the Volt works like no other car before it, General Motors and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency collaborated to design a new label to help consumers understand what to expect when they drive the Volt. Before plug-in cars like the Volt, 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.

Even though they have no tailpipe emissions, electric cars 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.

The Volt uses two energy sources, electricity from the grid, and gasoline from the pump, with the mix depending on how far you drive and how often you charge the battery. The Volt is a complex vehicle that is incredibly easy to use. And while the new fuel economy label also looks complex, it has more information than any EPA label before it.