Move over, Toyota Prius. There’s a new star on the electric/hybrid car market, an automobile that promises to give 230 miles per gallon! Yup, you read it right, 230 mpg. GM’s Chevy Volt electric car has arrived. The Chevy Volt promises specifications and mpg that no current car in the market has. In fact, no one’s even close.

According to General Motors, their new rechargeable electric car should get 230 miles per gallon of gasoline in city driving, more
than four times the mileage of the current champion, the Toyota Prius. Here’s how it works: The car is powered by an electric motor and a battery pack with a 40-mile range. After consuming its electric charge (which can be recharged from a standard home outlet), a small internal combustion engine kicks in to generate electricity for a total range of 300 miles. With gas prices on the verge of making another jump because of growing demand and a more positive outlook on the US economy, this three-digit gas mileage is getting everyone interested.

The promised mpg is yet to be confirmed by the EPA which does the tests for the mileage posted on new car door stickers. But with the Toyota Prius, currently the most efficient car sold in the USA, only reaching 48 miles per gallon of gas, it is still head and shoulders above the competition even if the mpg is proven to be somewhat lower than promised.

For other details about the Chevy Volt, here are the specifications as well as videos and pictures.

Update: The Chevy Volt is expected to cost near $40,000 when launched commercially in 2011. But price is expected to drop with future generations. (Photos courtesy of GM)

Chevy Volt electric car specs, mpg, vidoes, pictures/photos

Vehicle type: 5-door, front-wheel-drive sedan
Category: Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV)
E-REV competitors: none
Chassis: independent McPherson struts front, compound crank twist axle rear, four-wheel disc brakes, full regenerative brakes to maximize energy capture, electric power-assist steering
Seating capacity: four
Manufacturing location: Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly (subject to GM successfully negotiating satisfactory government incentives)
Top speed (mph): 100
EV range, city (miles): 40 (based on EPA city cycle)
Wheelbase (in / mm): 105.7 / 2685
Length (in / mm): 177 / 4404
Width (in / mm): 70.8 / 1798
Height (in / mm): 56.3 / 1430
Cargo volume (cu ft / L): 10.6 / 301
Type: lithium-ion
Energy (kWh) 16
Power (kW / hp): 111 / 150
Torque (lb-ft / Nm): 273 / 370

Tire and wheel size: specially developed low rolling-resistance tires on 17-inch forged aluminum wheels

How it Works: The new GM Chevy Volt




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