August 11th, 2009
Will more expensive gasoline be the salvation of General Motors?
GM’s now saying the fuel efficiency for their plug-in volt will be the equivalent of 230 MPG in city driving. If the EPA concurs that would make the 2010 Volt the first mass-produced car to top the triple-digit MPG barrier.
Volt.
This preliminary 230 MPG marketing claim is based on GM’s own tests using EPA standards. The Volt is scheduled to hit the market next year and will be a plug-in vehicle that recharges using standrad household current. It will also have a small internal combusTIon engine giving it a range of 300 miles, according to GM. The car’s highway MPG is likely to around 100, much less than its all-electric city efficiency. That would make the Volt’s MPG almost double the current MPG champ’s highway rating, and that is now the Toyota Prius.
GM’s got about 30 Volts on the road and is turning out about ten per week right now. The EPA has not done any official efficiency testing of the car yet.
And if gasoline does ever hit $20 per gallon, well, the Volt could put GM back into the driver’s seat. The Volt’s sticker price is apparently going to be around $40K, and it would qualify under current law for about $7500 in federal rebates. So with sales tax in most states it would retail in the mid-$30K range. Expect a waiting list, as well. Every Michigan pol will have to own one for sure. There is no official way to sign-up yet.
Chrysler, Daimler, Ford, Nissan and Toyota all expect to launch their own electric cars in the near future. It’s not clear if any of them can beat the Volt to the market. Also, not clear: will any of these companies be allowed to sell their electric cars in Saudi Arabia?
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A newsman since 1969, Harry Fuller has worked for CBS, ABC, CNBC Europe, CNET and was founding news director at TechTV. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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