GM wants a 230MPG rating from the EPA

[markderail]

**2 Similar Threads merged, so there may be some confusing transitions from post to post. --evan

From CNN (so, that means it's official now?) :

Chevrolet Volt's official fuel economy: 230 mpg - Aug. 11, 2009

Chevy Volt to get 230 mpg rating

Ultra-high mileage for GM's electric-drive Volt could give it a marketing boost.

From AutoBlogGreen:

GM announces... 2011 Chevrolet Volt will get 230 mpg city! — Autoblog

The biggest bombshell is Henderson's announcement that the "230" marketing campaign floating around for the past week is related to the Volt. The EPA has released a new methodology for determining a draft fuel economy standard for extended-range EVs like the Volt, and under this new procedure, the Volt will have a composite urban fuel economy rating of 230 mpg!

Viral marketing logo !

[jay_man2]

But it has a 1/6 gallon tank, right.

[Mike Dimmick]

The EPA has previously given all-electric mileage using a kWh per 100 miles figure. If you look up a RAV4 EV you will see an original sticker of 27 kWh/100mi city, 34 kWh/100mi highway. These have been converted to 'miles per gallon gasoline equivalent' of 125 City, 100 Highway.

I don't see that the Volt, or any other plug-in hybrid, should be any different. Give the electric part in terms of miles per gallon gasoline equivalent, and the gas part in actual miles per gallon - and list them separately so there's no confusion.

[Zythryn]

Well, if they are simply taking into account the gas used and not the energy from electricity, the Tesla's, Leaf and other electrics get an infinite mpg rating, right?
Infinity/230 is zero, so the volt still fails when it comes to all vehicles, does great with 50 mile drives vs other gas using vehicles though

[Chrome]

Just fantastic. 25KWh/100miles is great. 230mpg is certainly a headline grabber. I can't wait to buy one!

[quantumslip]

Chevy Volt To Get 230 MPG City Fuel Economy Rating - chevy volt - Jalopnik

Call me a Prius fan, but I think even the most hardcore GM fan would question this EPA rating. Makes sense if you just do city driving, but it seems funny that assuming there's a 11 gallon tank (don't remember the size in the Volt) that you could go 2,530 miles.

[DetPrius]

How do you measure MPG on the Volt? Isn't your MPG infinity, or undefined, if you never drive beyond the range of the battery charge? I wonder how the EPA is rating it. If it can go 40 miles on a charge and the EPA test lasts for 41 miles, yes, it will have a very high mileage rating if you divide the 41 miles by the gas used for the 1 mile.

[Marlin]

The formula they use has to be taking "typical user driving patterns" into account. Basically, they assume you drive X miles a day and charge every night. It will vary wildly based on you real driving patterns. If you drive 60 miles a day in the city instead of 30, you will get very different results.

But, all the plug-ins will have the same issue. However, the plug-in Prius will probably not vary as wildly, but only because it will have a much smaller electric range. Therefore the difference between traveling 35 miles and 55 miles won't make much difference on the Prius, because you were running on gasoline after the first 8 or so miles. However, the difference on the Volt will be huge because with 35 miles, you were using only electricity, but with 55 miles, you used gasoline for 15 miles.

[jayman]

Hmmmm.

So, Toyota Prius = bad

At least according to Bob Lutz and other fools at GM who ran the company up on the rocks.

Now that Government Motors Corporation is sucking on the taxpayer teat, the mythical Volt may become reality. And according to the GM fanboys, Volt = good

Whatever ....

[jdenenberg]

The other fraud here is that the Volt will get about 30 (my estimate) MPG when running on gasoline (after the first 40 miles). In my driving I would be lucky to average 35 MPG with a Volt and I manage 46 in my Prius (lots of long highway trips).

JeffD