How revolutionary is the amazing 2011 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle? It’s so innovative that the EPA had to develop a brand new kind of fuel-economy label—showing a brand new kind of fuel-efficiency numbers—before the extended-range electric vehicle could even go on sale.
Developed through a collaboration between General Motors and the EPA, the new label shows fuel-efficiency performance for both of the Volt’s two driving modes: When the Volt is driven using electricity alone, the car offers a range of up to 50 miles according to GM, during which it returns an MPG equivalent of 93 mpg according to the EPA. (The MPG equivalent is determined by measuring the car’s electricity use and converting it based on the energy content in a gallon of gasoline; the measure was developed to allow shoppers to compare the Volt’s efficiency to other cars in its segment.)
But unlike other all-electric cars, the Volt has plenty of range left even if its batteries are depleted. Chevy’s new fuel-sipper also packs a high-efficiency I4 engine that unleashes a further 340 miles or more of driving, at an EPA rated 37 mpg.
Alexandria Chevrolet says this stellar EPA performance was just the latest good news for the car, which also took home four prestigious industry honors during November. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt was recently named:
- A member of the Car and Driver 2011 10Best Cars list
- Motor Trend’s 2011 Car of the Year
- 2011 Green Car of the Year by The Green Car Journal
- Automobile Magazine’s 2011 Automobile of the Year
The content-packed Chevrolet Volt goes on sale this year with an MSRP of $41,000—or just $33,500 after the U.S. government’s $7,500 tax credit, and will be available at Chevrolet dealers. Nashville, Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, and Minneapolis Chevrolet dealerships are some places where car buyers will be able to shop for the Chevrolet Volt.
Comments on this entry are closed.