After a cluster
bomb that was unleashed yesterday when the Nissan Leaf was rated
for an EPA estimated 99 mpg -- even though it is a "battery
only" vehicle -- General Motors is dropping
a bunch of digits on us when it comes to the EPA rating for its
Chevrolet Volt.
According to the window sticker that
will be plastered on all new Volts sold in the U.S., the vehicle is
rate at an equivalent of 93 mpg when running on electricity, and a
more sedate 37 mpg when the gasoline engine kicks in after the
battery is depleted. This two figures combined give the Volt a
"composite" rating of 60 mpg.
And here are some more numbers -- the
Volt will have an official "battery only" range of 35
miles, while the total driving range (taking into account the
batteries and the gasoline tank) will be 379 miles.
When the Volt was first announced, GM
said that the vehicle would have a 40-mile
range when running on battery power. The company recently revised
that figure to 25-50 miles.
The Volt will go on sale later this
month with a price
tag of $41,000 before a $7,500 federal tax credit.
