WSJ: GM Volt's Sticker To Have Three Mileage Ratings
November 24 2010 - 7:44PM
Dow Jones News
General Motors Co.'s (GM) Chevrolet Volt battery-powered car
will get three mileage ratings on its window sticker--37-, 60-, and
93-miles per gallon--that vary based on how the vehicle is
driven.
The Environmental Protection Agency ratings, released on
Wednesday, mark the government's first attempt to assign a
miles-per-gallon equivalent to a car like the Volt, which is driven
by a battery that is backed up by a small gasoline engine, which
kicks in when the battery is drained.
Earlier this week, Nissan Motor Co. (NSANY, 7201.TO) announced
the window sticker on its coming all-electric Leaf electric car
will display 99 miles per gallon.
Average range also will be displayed on the stickers. The Volt
will have a 35 mile range listed; the Leaf's is 73 miles.
(This story and related background material will be available on
The Wall Street Journal Web site, WSJ.com.)
The stickers are based on new U.S. government standards that
define how auto makers can advertise the fuel economy and driving
range of vehicles that run some or all of the time on battery power
alone.
The distance a battery car can go on a charge is among the
biggest challenges vehicle makers face as they market electric cars
to consumers, who may fear being stuck by the roadside with a dead
battery.
Nissan has touted the Leaf's longer range, while GM has played
up the idea of "range anxiety" consumers will suffer with a car
that has no backup once the battery runs down.
To reach Volt figures, the EPA tested the car under driving
conditions that tested how the car would perform using a
combination of the electric battery and gas engine.
The Volt sticker prominently displays 93 as the miles-per-gallon
equivalent when the car is driving on the battery alone; 37
miles-per-gallon is the figure when the gas engine is delivering
power to the electric drive system. In smaller letters, 60 miles
per gallon is listed as the comparable to other compact cars.
The EPA's electric vehicle rating system caused a stir last year
after GM said the Volt might get the equivalent of 230 mpg, to
which Nissan shot back that its Leaf would get the equivalent of
367 miles. GM later retracted its estimate.
The Volt is set to go on sale beginning this month. It will
first be available in the New York region, California, Michigan,
Austin, Tex. and Washington, D.C. before it goes on sale nationwide
in 2012. GM has said it will build 10,000 Volts in 2011 and 45,000
in 2012.
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