GM expects its electric car, the Volt, to beat Toyota’s Prius hybrid on fuel efficiency when it is rolled out next year, chief executive Fritz Henderson said.
(Bill Pugliano/ Getty Images)
Mileage shocker: Volt gets 230 mpg
GM executives say electric car will beat Prius
GM expects its electric car, the Volt, to beat Toyota’s Prius hybrid on fuel efficiency when it is rolled out next year, chief executive Fritz Henderson said.
(Bill Pugliano/ Getty Images)
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - General Motors Co. expects its Volt electric car to earn a fuel-economy rating of at least 230 miles per gallon for city driving, more than four times that of Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius hybrid.
“It’s fascinating and it’s exciting,’’ said Brett Smith, an alternative technology analyst at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. “For a lot of consumers it may also end up being very misleading because they won’t get that mileage in the real world.’’
The automaker is counting on unproven technology to leapfrog the Prius, the world’s best-selling hybrid, which starts at $22,000. GM vice chairman Bob Lutz said in May the Volt would probably cost about $40,000 when it goes on sale in November 2010.
“Many Chevy Volt drivers may be able to be in pure electric mode on a daily basis without having to use any gas,’’ chief executive Fritz Henderson said.
GM said in September it reached an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency on a testing method that would yield a rating of at least 100 miles per gallon for the Volt, which will be able to go 40 miles on battery power before tapping an onboard gasoline engine for a recharge.
With combined city and highway mileage, the Volt still will probably exceed 100 miles per gallon fuel economy, Henderson said.
“At that level, you’re still doing pretty darn good,’’ Smith said. “It all comes down to how much people are willing to pay to get that savings over time.’’
The EPA rates the Prius as the most fuel-efficient car on US roads. The 2010 Prius is rated at 51 miles per gallon in city driving and 48 miles per gallon on the highway, according to the agency’s website.
The EPA has not tested a Volt and therefore can’t confirm the fuel economy values claimed by GM, an agency spokeswoman said.
“EPA does applaud GM’s commitment to designing and building the car of the future: an American-made car that will save families money, significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and create good-paying American jobs.’’
Real-world mileage varies depending on such things as driving style, weather, and road conditions.
The anticipated ratings are an accurate indicator of the mileage typical drivers might get, said Frank Weber, the executive in charge of the program.
The Volt will use about 40 cents worth of electricity to get its overnight charge, he said. Used that way, “numbers between 150 and 300 miles per gallon are realistic’’ for the average driver, Weber said.
Toyota had no comment on the Volt mileage announcement, a spokesman said.
GM is building about 10 Volts each week in preproduction operations, he said. It may be produced in volumes of about 60,000 annually, once it goes on sale, GM has said. Toyota sold 158,900 Priuses in the United States last year, 12 percent fewer than in 2007.
Unlike conventional autos and hybrids such as the Prius, the 1.4-liter engine on the Volt won’t drive the wheels. Instead, it will only power the battery, which also can be recharged at a household outlet. The car is scheduled to go on sale late next year.
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