How Does The 2011 Chevy Volt Get 230 MPG?
UPDATE: GM confirms that the 2011 Chevrolet Volt will get 230 mpg city, and a composite fuel economy (city and highway) of more than 100 mpg according to draft regulations being developed at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). If the rumors are correct, this morning General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson will finally reveal what the company’s mysterious ‘230’ ad campaign was about. It appears to be the official mileage rating for GM’s upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car. A number like that seems outlandish, absurd. How can the US Environmental Protection Agency possibly measure fuel consumption that low? The answer, it turns out, is all in the assumptions. 40 miles, no gasoline The Volt, remember, stores energy in both a gasoline tank and a battery pack. And it will always prioritize using electricity from the battery to power itself before it ever switches on the gas engine. Unlike a conventional hybrid car, though, the battery pack is usually recharged by plug
