GM says Chevy Volt will give 230mpg in city driving
General Motors Corp
. said Tuesday its
Chevrolet Volt
rechargeable
electric car
should get 230 miles per gallon (98 kilometers per liter) of gasoline in city driving, more than four times the current champion, the
Toyota Prius
.
The Volt is powered by an electric motor and a battery pack with a 40-mile (65-kilometer) range. After that, a small internal combustion engine kicks in to generate electricity for a total range of 300 miles (480 kilometers). The battery pack can be recharged from a standard home outlet.
GM
came up with the 230-mile (370-kilometer) figure in early tests using draft guidelines from the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
for calculating the mileage of extended range
electric vehicles
, said Tony Posawatz, GM's vehicle line director for the Volt.
If the figure is confirmed by the
EPA
, which does the tests for the mileage posted on
new car
door stickers, the Volt would be the first car to exceed triple-digit gas mileage, Posawatz said.