When the Chevrolet Volt hits showrooms late next year, it could blow away the competition. The hybrid engine runs on electricity and gas and can get up to 230 miles to the gallon during city driving. That figure has yet to be tested by federal regulators, but anywhere close to that number would be a record for an American car. The price tag of the automobile is in the neighborhood of $40,000, however the mileage is four times better than the popular Toyota Prius. Many city dwellers might just make the jump to the Volt after considering the long term savings in such an investment.
The four door four-seater will be the most efficient car on the roadways by next year, and works a little differently than the Prius. The joint electric-gas engine comes with a battery pack that has a 40 mile range, after which a combustion engine will kick in that can drive the car for another estimated 300 miles. The Prius, which costs about half as much gets a seemingly paltry – in comparison – 51 miles per gallon in the city and 48 miles per gallon on the highway.
There is some bad news on the horizon for the Volt, however, as the auto maker GM is having some capital problems and may not be able to make enough vehicles to satiate demand. When the campaign to release the vehicle began they were shooting for a 60,000 car release, but have recently stated that they will more likely only release a few hundred at the tail end of 2010 which about 10,000 coming the following year. If the price tag doesn’t scare you away, you may want to make arrangements to lock up your Chevy Volt in the very near future.
