Back in August last year, American manufacturer GM stepped up and announced loud and clear, for all to hear, that the Volt model produced under the Chevy badge will provide an astonishing 230 miles per gallon of fuel economy (1 liter/100 km), perhaps the biggest of all vehicles still using a touch of fossil fuel to run.
Thing is, the figure was calculate using an EPA methodology for plug-in electric vehicles that is currently about to change. According to USA Today, the old formula, which took into account kilowatt hours per 100 miles in order to define electrical efficiency, has not been approved by the regulators and a new method is currently under review.
"We've been working collaboratively with the EPA and the industry to come up with a number that gives our customers something they can feel comfortable with," Tom Stephens, GM's vice chairman of global product operations told the source.
The new methodology will not be ready sooner than the time when the Volt will hit the market, November 2010. EPA and other agencies are currently trying to figure out a way to let future customers know how to compare energy use of electric cars (including recharge cost) to the good old mpg figure.
Separately, Chevrolet also debuted a new color for the Volt, Victory Red, which you can admire in the gallery below. Also, the warranty for the Volt's battery was made public by GM: 8 years or 100,000 miles (160,000 km), the most comprehensive warranty in the industry. The warranty applies to all 161 battery components.
Thing is, the figure was calculate using an EPA methodology for plug-in electric vehicles that is currently about to change. According to USA Today, the old formula, which took into account kilowatt hours per 100 miles in order to define electrical efficiency, has not been approved by the regulators and a new method is currently under review.
"We've been working collaboratively with the EPA and the industry to come up with a number that gives our customers something they can feel comfortable with," Tom Stephens, GM's vice chairman of global product operations told the source.
The new methodology will not be ready sooner than the time when the Volt will hit the market, November 2010. EPA and other agencies are currently trying to figure out a way to let future customers know how to compare energy use of electric cars (including recharge cost) to the good old mpg figure.
Separately, Chevrolet also debuted a new color for the Volt, Victory Red, which you can admire in the gallery below. Also, the warranty for the Volt's battery was made public by GM: 8 years or 100,000 miles (160,000 km), the most comprehensive warranty in the industry. The warranty applies to all 161 battery components.