Chevy Volt owners exceed MPG estimates

Chevrolet Volt owners are consistently achieving the published EPA-estimated mileage of 98 MPGe gasoline-free miles, and many are even exceeding it. Their experience contributes to an out worldly total of 150 million electric-powered Volt driving miles – roughly the distance from Earth to Mars.

The typical Volt owner who regularly charges the vehicle is going 900 miles between fill-ups of the gasoline engine that powers the Volt’s on-board generator. That avoids about $1,300 a year at the pump.

MPGe is a measure of the average distance traveled per unit of energy consumed. The EPA uses it to compare the consumption of alternative fuel vehicles, plug-in electric vehicles and other advanced technology vehicles with the fuel economy of conventional internal combustion vehicles expressed as miles per U.S. gallon of gasoline.

Some drivers are all but avoiding gasoline.

“I have driven more than 23,500 miles in my Volt in 21 months, and have been to a gas station twice,” said Brent Waldrep of Auburn Hills, Mich. “The last time, was in August (2012), and I still have about 65 percent of that tank left. I go about 9,000-10,000 miles between fill ups.”

Waldrep is atypical, but he is not alone.

“It’s been more than 5,000 miles and I’ve only filled up once not including the dealer fill,” said Larry Read of Canyon Lake, Texas.

Paul Friday of San Jose, Calif., says he gets about 7,000 miles between fill-ups and adds about three gallons of gas to his Volt every three months.

“We’ve seen and heard from our Volt owners that they are achieving fantastic performance numbers with their vehicle as many are beating the EPA label estimates,” said Cristi Landy, Chevrolet Volt marketing director. “Our Volt owners are showing the performance potential of driving electric, and having fun doing it.”

Volt owners remain the most satisfied of any in the entire industry for the past two years with more than nine in 10 telling a major consumer publication they would buy another Volt.

For the first 38 miles, the Volt can drive gas and tailpipe-emissions free using a full charge of electricity stored in its 16.50-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt’s battery runs low, a gas-powered generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range up to another 344 miles on a full tank.