The mileage ratings are out for the Chevy Volt hybrid and they are interesting, if not unusual. Because the car can cruise on battery power alone and with the aid of a small gasoline engine once the battery starts running out of juice, the Environmental Protection Agency had to conjure up a new way to rate its mileage (we can't say fuel economy because on battery power it uses zero gasoline.
On electricity alone it is rated at the equivalent of 93 mpg. Powered by just its 1.4-liter gas engine it is rated at 37 mpg and running on a combo of the two nets 60 mpg. The EPA says the Volt will go 35 miles on electricity alone (five less than Chevy's claim) and that it has a range of 379 miles on juice and petrol. We guess this is fine, but it seems like 35 miles is kind of weak in the range department. And the price, over $44,000 before the government $7,500 tax credit, seems a bit preposterous.