127 MPG: The Chevy Volt

I did a post on the Nissan Leaf a couple of weeks ago, so I feel it's only fair to give its closest competitor some spotlight also.

The Chevrolet Volt exhibits some impressive statistics, and the title of this post speaks for itself in terms of the car's efficiency. The main difference between the Volt and the Leaf is that Chevy's Volt actually does have a small internal combustion engine which operates as a generator to assist its electric engine.

For instance, if you're running low on juice, or the Volt's on board computer determines that you are using a large amount of electricity (i.e. driving up a mountain) the gas engine will kick in to keep the battery charged and running at peak efficiency. However, statistics show that the majority of drivers won't have to activate that engine during their daily driving.

I personally like the Chevy Volt because it won't leave you stranded. However, it's substantially more expensive than the Nissan Leaf with a MSRP of $40,280. Keep in mind also that the EPA doesn't consider it a fully-electric, zero emissions vehicle and it therefore doesn't qualify for their rebates.


Is this the future of automotive engineering? If so, they'll have to do something about the cost.