Will the Volt be the first 100 MPG rated car?

There has been a lot of wrangling between car companies and the EPA over how to certify mileage estimates with the new crop of electric vehicles (EVs) and extended range electric vehicles (ER-EV). The EPA is furiously working on a standard testing protocol. According to Catherine C. Milbourn of the EPA, the agency “hopes to have a final policy soon”. To be the first company to achieve the coveted 100 MPG label would be a huge achievement and GM is pressing hard to get that rating for the Volt. The automaker is promising to share onboard computer data with the EPA in hopes of helping the process along. Early reports that the GM Volt has grabbed that rating are premature, as the process continues to go back and forth. It does look promising for the Volt, with industry engineers like Michael Duoba of the Argonne National Laboratory says “A vehicle of the Volt’s design should be able to exceed 100 mpg in tests” and goes on to say “Depending on assumptions about how much gasoline is consumed after the battery needs recharging on the road, Volt could get 120 mpg to 200 mpg”.

Stay tuned for more on the first 100 MPG rating!