Should the Chevy Volt be Certified as an Electric or a Hybrid?

Looks like we’re on the road to having the first mass-produced vehicle rated at 100 mpg (or more). Yeah, you guessed it: the Chevy Volt. With preliminary certification from the EPA as an electric car (for regulatory purposes), GM is keeping their fingers crossed that all continues as planned. You see, since the Volt can go 40 miles on all-electric power, the government’s current test track used to measure tailpipe emissions in both city and highway driving would be moot. That’s when the mathematical formula for calculating fuel economy kicks in.

However, the Volt is not a pure electric vehicle … say, like the Tesla Roadster, rated at 244 mpg. What if someone forgot to plug the car in and had to rely upon the 1.4-liter gasoline engine (somewhere in the 35 to 50 mpg range) to power the electric drive motor? Hmmm, would it then fall in the AT-PZEV range—like the cleanest hybrids of today? So, should the Volt be classified as an electric or a hybrid? We certainly know why GM wants that electric car rating … but with our eye on the cars of the future, we can’t help but wonder if the Chevy Volt should have a more fitting certification as a plug-in hybrid. What say you?

Chevy Volt badge photo © General Motors