Chevrolet has claimed a quite extraordinary fuel economy figure for the Volt saloon, the 'extended range electric vehicle' which is due to hit showrooms in 2011. The number: 230mpg.
The claim comes from Chevrolet in America and is thus in US mpg, which means that in European terms the figure is actually 276mpg (or just over 1 litre per 100 kilometres). Chevrolet is very clear about the fact the car is in development at the moment, and the figure will vary dependent on the usual factors such as use of in-car electrics like air conditioning, the number of passengers and the number of miles driven daily.
But having undergone a test in the US that looks likely to become the standard by which all electric cars will be rated, the Volt has come out with astounding official fuel economy. That 230mpg is its 'city' figure, whereas its average is closer to 100mpg.
The Volt is powered exclusively by electricity, but the 'extended range' bit denotes that it also has an onboard petrol engine that acts as a back up to supply power to the battery when it runs dry. It means the Volt has a much greater range than the average electric car (around 300 miles is claimed), and Chevrolet reckons that most users will never need to tap into the Volt's fuel reserves during day-to-day driving if it's charged at an external power source daily.
General Motors has set November 2010 as the Volt's official launch date
0 comments:
Post a Comment