The Volt May Put General Motors in the Driver's Seat Again

The plug-in Electric vehicle that's supposed to usher in a General Motors of the future has had a tumultuous lifespan thus far, but to its credit, the company continues to plow ahead with the Chevrolet Volt the best way it can. By winning the marketing war early!

The Volt has been the focus of numerous stories since its unveiling and subsequent planned 2010 debut, but today's might just be the most fascinating. GM has come out to say that the Volt will be rated an astonishing 230MPG. Now if that number seems quite extraordinary, you'd be part of the perceptive crowd, because clearly there is more to the story.

There is no comparative standardized measure for electric-gasoline hybrid vehicles like the Volt, and standard highway and city mpg fuel economy tests are 10 mile continuous drives. The Volt, on the other hand has a range of 40 Miles on a single charge, so technically the MPG figure would be infinite for the first 40 Miles, as the car would be using no fuel at all.

That's where it gets a little bit complicated as the engine on the Volt provides an additional 260 Miles of range on a single tank and thus on a 100 mile cruise, 60 of which are powered by petrol, the MPG figure would drop to about 80 MPG, and continue to decline as the drive gets longer. The engine also provides power to charge internal systems, but a recharge of the battery is said to take about 10 kilowatt hours, which CEO Fritz Henderson has said would cost about 40 cents. There was no subsequent mention of just where in these American cities will there be public infrastructure to support these vehicles, but if there's one thing the Stimulus package should have money for, it ought to be this.

While the 230MPG claim may be just that, it does have some merit, and more importantly, it puts GM ahead of the competition and in the driver's seat when it comes to America's automotive future. Advertising sells just about everything in this world, and seeing a number like that splashed across automotive publications and the Internet will swing the ball of goodwill into GM's corner.

And goodwill is one thing the company will need in spades if it continues with plans to launch an IPO on the year anniversary of its dealings with bankruptcy.

Comments

[Davewmart:]

I don't understand the immoderate criticism of GM for publicising it's performance according to the EPA cycle.
No one metric fully describes consumption, and only a fool imagines it does.
Just the same, the Volt's excellent performance for city driving where the electric motor is used frequently can only be good.
If you don't do much of this sort of driving, why would you consider a Volt?

Aug 14 07:22 AM

[ATLBob:]

I understand why GM and other electric car manufacturers are citing MPG ratings in marketing their cars, regardless of how meaningless MPG is with an electric vehhicle. The bottom line for consumers will be the RANGE of each car when it's fully charged: how many miles can you get with a single charge?. If you are a daily short-range commuter an electric car might be your future vehicle of choice; however, if you need to take a real road-trip, this won't be the car for you.

Aug 14 10:13 AM

[Mad Hedge F...:]

Not a chance. GM says that its new Volt hybrid will get an unbelievable 230 miles per gallon for a 300 mile range when it is introduced at the end of 2010. Does this mean it only has a two gallon gas tank? The $40,000 car will use no gas at all for the first 40 miles a day, which covers two thirds of all American drivers. At three cents a mile, this will give the average driver of 15,000 miles a year a $450 annual fuel bill. By the time the car hits the market, seen by many as the troubled car maker’s lifeline to the future, the Prius will have been on the market for ten years and built up a major distribution and service network, not to mention immense customer loyalty. Toyota’s (TM) current $22,000 benchmark competitor gets 50 miles/gallon, giving you a $900 a year gas bill at current prices, and has a huge quality advantage. The problem for GM is that by the time the Volt comes out, Toyota will have brought its plug in version to the market, which will deliver the same performance at half the price. Nice idea, GM, but you’re 30 years too late.

Aug 14 12:39 PM

[a. palmer jr.:]

Wait till some future hot rodders get ahold of the Volt. We'll have that thing where it'll get 500 miles per gallon. Remember, this is a brand new offering from Chevrolet and has no aftermarket....yet. We'll be putting in extra, more powerful batteries, maybe a capacitor or two(dozen), take some of the unnecessary weight out of the car. You get the idea.

Aug 15 12:22 AM