GM lays claim to greenest car

Detroit-based automaker General Motors (GM) has announced that its new Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid is expected to achieve at least 230 miles per gallon.  The company has said that the Volt, which is expected to go into production late next year, will be able to travel a distance of up to 40 miles from a single battery charge.  The car will have a dual engine, with the gas engine producing the energy to re-charge the battery once the original charge has run out. The battery takes around eight hours to re-charge from a standard domestic outlet, at a cost of just under 3 cents per mile. According to the US Department of Transportation, nearly eight of 10 Americans commute less than 40 miles each day. Tests were carried out on the new car, which revealed that in city driving conditions, the car could reach over 230 miles to the gallon, a figure based on a draft Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methodology for plug-in electric cars. If confirmed by the EPA, the rating means that the Volt offers greater fuel efficiency than any other car currently on the road, and up to four times that of the Toyota Prius. It would also be the first car to exceed triple-digit gas mileage.  "The 230 city mpg number is a great indication of the capabilities of the Volt's electric propulsion system and its ability to displace gasoline," said Frank Weber, global vehicle line executive for the Volt.  "Actual testing with production vehicles will occur next year closer to vehicle launch. However, we are very encouraged by this development, and we also think that it is important to continue to share our findings in real time, as we have with other aspects of the Volt's development." GM has declined to provide a purchase price for the car, but analysts have predicted it to come in at around $40,000.┬á The carÔÇÖs technology is a coup for GM, which has been increasingly keen to underline its green credentials of late. It has sold more than 2.5 million Chevrolets that run on E85 biofuel; it also currently offers three hybrids within the top-selling brand.┬á * ┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á*┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *