Chevy Volt Mileage: 93 MPG on Battery & 37 MPG on Gas

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The Chevy Volt has received much buzz and accolade even before it hit showrooms. Now that the EPA has released official mileage figures, does the Volt make the grade among green motoring enthusiasts?

Due to the onset of electric and hybrid vehicles, the Environmental Protection Agency has implemented an MPGe or MPG equivalency rating system, in which electric cars and hybrids are given mileage ratings in terms of its equivalent energy consumption when you plug into the mains.

Meanwhile, the Chevy Volt has been given MPG ratings for both gas-only and electric-only use. If the Volt were used with only the battery running, you would get an equivalent of 97 MPGe. However, the EPA says you can only use the Volt purely on battery at an effective range of 35 miles, instead of the claimed 40 miles (although that’s pretty close, if you ask me).

If you constantly forget to charge your Volt, and run on gas-only, you will get a milege of 37 MPG. Not bad, but not really excellent if you place it side by side with comparable vehicles.

Still, even if it doesn’t get that 230 MPGe ideal mileage, you might probably get close to the 127 MPG equivalent in real world tests that motoring journalists achieved.