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2011 Chevrolet Volt Gets 93 MPGe EV Rating, 60 MPG Combined

 
4,641 views Nov 24, 2010
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2011 Chevrolet Volt

2011 Chevrolet Volt Z-Spec

2011 Chevrolet Volt Z-Spec

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The shenanigans continue. Just this week the Nissan LEAF was rated at 99 mpg-equivalent by the EPA, raising the ire of our own John Voelcker--and justifiably so. Today, the Volt gets similar treatment and a similar rating, but only in EV mode. Add in the gas-only mode's 37 mpg rating and the combined average drops to 60 mpg.

Not that that makes much sense, either, really. The Volt's EV-only mode isn't, strictly speaking, EV-only since it will still draw some assistance from the gasoline range extender under certain conditions. Add to that the variability of the Volt's battery-powered range (GM states it as "25 to 50 miles") and you've got a recipe for incomprehensibility, especially when you mix in the fact that the mpg-equivalency rating involves a conversion factor from kilowatt-hours per mile. 

So How Green Is It?

As for how green the Volt is, that also depends on how it's driven and where it gets its electricity, just like the LEAF. This is particularly true if the driver uses the Volt entirely within its EV range and never goes into gasoline-powered range-extended mode. It's just another complication factor if the vehicle's use includes both modes. 

To further complicate matters specific to the Volt, we have the variable of ethanol fuel blends. Ten percent blends (E10) are now the norm across the country, with E15 possibly coming for 2007 and newer cars soon. That makes the conversion of energy content in a gallon of "gasoline" that much trickier, since ethanol contains less energy per unit volume than pure gasoline.

In other words, your mileage may vary. Widely.

That said, the EPA rates the Volt's tailpipe emissions at 84 grams CO2 per mile, putting it well ahead of theToyota Prius and toward the upper quintile of the range of vehicles currently on sale. In the "other air pollutants" category, the Volt rates six out of ten, with ten being best.

What About The Label?

Just as complex as the Volt itself and its many efficiency considerations is the EPA labeling that will go on the Volt. Containing "more information than any EPA label before it" according to GM, the Volt's EPA window sticker includes no fewer than five different "Charging Routine" examples, a conversion factor betweem kilowatt-hours per mile and mpgs (33.7 kWh per gallon of gasoline), four paragraphs of text to explain what it all means, and a header declaring it a "Dual-Fuel Vehicle: Electricity-Gasoline."

Check out the label for yourself, and weigh in below with your own take on what all of these EPA wranglings mean for electric, plug-in, dual-fuel, and other types of greener vehicles--and whether this attempt at simplification really simplifies anything at all.

[GM]


HI-RES GALLERY: 2011 Chevrolet Volt




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Comments (11)

  1. fb_542856692 avatar Rich Civil Posted: 11/24/2010 4:09pm PST

    The Volt was always going to have complex with comparing range and MPG. I would like to think that anyone looking to spend the 10's of thousands on a new car would be able to take the time to due a little bit oif number crunching to see what it means.
     
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  2. By  Alex in Saco Posted: 11/25/2010 8:29am PST

    Please stop the geeky insanity and happy horse poop about the mileage.
    Can someone please charge up a Volt, fill it up with gas, drive on the highway non-stop until the low fuel light illuminates and then fill up and then tell us how many miles and how many gallons?
    Then refill and recharge and have people drive it around town without a recharge and without a fill-up up until almost out of fuel. Then report.
    Something difficult about this concept?
    At least we will have an general idea without the marketing slant.
     
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  3. fb_100001240399874 avatar Jim Smith Posted: 11/26/2010 4:39am PST

    I lot of EV enthusiast are critical of the MPGe concept. I think it's a good way to educate the average non-technical consumer. When the average consumer sees that the Volt gets the equivalent of 93 MPG they will understand that EV's are very efficient. Another way the new sticker will educate the average consumer is the your-mileage-may-vary box in the lower right corner of the sticker. I'll bet GM lobbied hard to get the EPA to include this on the label. I have only one minor nit-pick about the label. The gasoline only mileage is a combined city/highway number. The big selling point of the Volt is that you can take it on a long trip. Long trips take placed on highways where the Volt is projected to get 40 MPG.
     
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  4. By  Victor Posted: 11/26/2010 12:55pm PST

    Gotta say, it isn't really that bad of a looking car. I have always been a bit more of a Ford person, if I were to go domestic, but it is still neat to see Chevy put out this type of vehicle. I hope it ends up being a success for them.
     
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  5. By Rob Posted: 11/26/2010 10:27pm PST

    This EPA information is out of context. They should indicate on a sliding scale the cost based on your electricity costs. In southern california edison country, last kWh used is generally $0.25 kWh, not the $0.05 or so that they may be basing the costs on. Then, your actual costs would be about 20 mpg equiv. Not very good, and better to never plug the car in. To get the low nightly power rates, you need to sign up for special time of use rates, and they are clear as mud what that night rate actually is. http://www.sce.com/CustomerService/rates/residential/special-time-of-use.htm
    Why they are marketing this car in the state that has one of the highest power rates is beyond me. Also, as tail pipe emissions might be zero, upstream emissions from coal production (half of US produces electricity from coal) is not shown as the true comparison of whether this is really an environmentally friendly car. Plus downstream emissions from the waste batteries and electric motors. We are being deceived by government motors. Don't buy into the hype until the real info is put into consumers hands.
     
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  6. fb_100000458268753 avatar Neil Blanchard Posted: 11/27/2010 4:59am PST

    Another problem I have with the gasoline gm/mile is that it only counts the gasoline itself, and not what it took to produce the gasoline. If Nissan is right, it takes 7.5kWh of electricity to make a gallon of gas, so if you count the carbon it takes to make electricity, then you much also add it to the gasoline.
    Sincerely, Neil
     
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  7. By Shawn Smith Posted: 11/27/2010 11:23am PST

    The question I would like answered, and haven't seen much at all, is, "How long do the batteries last, and how much does it cost to replace them?" If I have to replace $13,000.00 worth of batteries every 5 years (numbers pulled out of my butt) that means I would have to save more than $200.00 every month, in addition to fuel costs, to keep the car going. That makes it a non-starter for someone like me who doesn't like the idea of perpetual car payments.
     
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  8. john_v avatar John Voelcker Posted: 11/27/2010 3:22pm PST

    @Shawn: GM warranties the batteries for a minimum of 8 yrs/100,000 miles:
    http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1047162_2011-chevrolet-volt-battery-pack-warranty-8-years-100k-miles
    And it may well be that the pack will last somewhat longer than that. Bear in mind also that the pack may be close to the end of its useful life *in the car* when it falls to 70% or 80% of its original energy capacity, but it is likely to have a significant residual value for post-automotive uses. What that will be is anyone's guess, at the moment, but GM and Nissan are both well aware of the need to reassure consumers that their packs will last many years.
     
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  9. By Diane Posted: 11/30/2010 4:08pm PST

    I WAS excited about this car UNTIL I found out the price! If Chevrolet is truly interested in helping the environment, I suggest they lower their price, sell millions of cars to the masses and still make a profit, instead of selling their overpriced Volt to only the elite few.
     
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  10. By David Folsom Posted: 12/7/2010 3:32pm PST

    The EPA figures are agenda driven.With power plants fuel:electricity efficiency at 40%, 5% grid loss, 8% charger conversion loss, energy consumed pushing the weight of the batter down the road(or up a hill)battery degradation(and replacement)this car has burned up over 50% of the total energy use before turning on the key. the least energy-efficient vehicle ever.
     
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  11. By Penn State EcoCAR Posted: 1/15/2011 1:07pm PST

    The Penn State EcoCAR team uses the same architecture as the Chevy Volt for our hybrid vehicle. It is extremely rewarding to our team that we have built a high-quality vehicle system throughout the past three years. Now we are sure our architecture will long-lasting and successful because of this great award that the Volt just won! EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge is a multi-collegiate competition sponsored by GM and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), organized and overseen by Argonne National Laboratory. It is a joint venture between Government, Industry, and Academia with 16 teams from North America competing in this challenge. The goal is to design and build a working hybrid vehicle applying GM’s standard engineering design methods and procedures. Visit our team's website at www.hev.psu.edu or the EcoCAR Challenge website at www.ecocarchallenge.org.
     
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