For those of you have been living under a rock for the past year let me catch you up. In 2007, General Motors unveiled a concept vehicle by the name of Chevrolet Volt that promised to change the automotive world forever. It uses both gas and electricity to propel itself, yet, is not like your typical hybrid. Your typical hybrid has a battery pack on board that is charged by the engine and to a certain extent braking. The Chevrolet Volt can be charged in these ways as well, but, that is where the similarities end.
According to Chevrolet, 75% of U.S. citizens commuting needs can be met by the Volt without using a single drop of gas. How you might ask? The Volt is actually what is know as a "plug in hybrid". Park your car overnight, plug it into a wall outlet, and you will be able to drive up to 40 miles using the lithium-ion battery pack alone. Should you exceed the 40 mile range a small gas engine will switch on charging the battery to keep you going. The gasoline engine actually never powers the wheels in this car making the proper term for it a generator as it is simply generating electricity.
So where did 230 miles per gallon come from? That number, which GM has been teasing over the past week via Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook, is a result of the EPA deciding on a standard test for measuring plug in vehicles' efficiency. As you can imagine, GM may be the first to the plug in party, but certainly not the last requiring the EPA to set up a standard quick. While the specifics of the test were not mentioned as of yet, the results for "real world city driving" were a spectacular 230 miles to a single gallon of gas. If that number does not sell a car I don't know what will.
The Volt is scheduled for production as a 2011 model, likely entering showrooms in late 2010. It's price tag is said to come in around $40,000 and looks to offer all the normal creature comforts you would expect in an automobile. The only difference you will notice is a much smaller bill at the gas pump.
Chevrolet Volt concept displayed at the 2007 North American International Auto Show
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