There is talk around Detroit that is the EPA is fighting with GM over the Chevy Volt. The issue is this: Is the Volt an electric car or a hybrid? How the car is defined is very important, because it signals what the total fuel-economy numbers will be.
The Volt's electric unit is designed to run 40 miles on the power from the battery pack. After that, then the internal-combustion engine starts and generates electricity to power the electric drive for what GM claims is hundreds of miles.
Unlike a hybrid like the Prius and other hybrids, which use a combination of both gas and electricity to turn the wheels, the Volt's wheels are powered only by its electric drive unit.
The EPA wants to test the Volt its own way, insisting it finishes the test with the batteries close to full charge which in turn drops the calculated fuel consumption to just under 48 mpg. A far cry from GM's claims of 100's of miles.
The problem is if the Volt goes to market with an EPA rating that is not much higher than that of can be hybrids, GM executives are worried that customers may not see the value in the car's $40,000 price.
The Volt's electric unit is designed to run 40 miles on the power from the battery pack. After that, then the internal-combustion engine starts and generates electricity to power the electric drive for what GM claims is hundreds of miles.
Unlike a hybrid like the Prius and other hybrids, which use a combination of both gas and electricity to turn the wheels, the Volt's wheels are powered only by its electric drive unit.
The EPA wants to test the Volt its own way, insisting it finishes the test with the batteries close to full charge which in turn drops the calculated fuel consumption to just under 48 mpg. A far cry from GM's claims of 100's of miles.
The problem is if the Volt goes to market with an EPA rating that is not much higher than that of can be hybrids, GM executives are worried that customers may not see the value in the car's $40,000 price.
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