Is the Chevy Volt a plug-in hybrid or an electric car?

So we all know that GM is calling the Chevy Volt an extend-range electric vehicle.  But that sort of glosses over the point that there is an internal combustion engine which does indeed use gasoline. 

I just came across this article on US News:

General Motors and the Environmental Protection Agency have apparently begun an argument over just what, exactly, GM's upcoming plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt is.  The point isn't just academic -- it could determine whether the Volt receives a jaw-dropping EPA rating of over 100 mpg -- -- making it by far the most fuel-efficient car sold by a major automaker -- or a rather Prius-like 48 mpg.

GM considers the Chevy Volt an electric car.  The EPA wants to classify it as a hybrid.

PC Magazine explains, "Its drivetrain is entirely electric, since the companion gas engine powers a generator, not the car itself. The Volt is not a hybrid in the usual sense, in other words. GM claims it can run 40 miles before the gas engine even kicks in."

The car uses its batteries to provide most of its power, activating the electric generator only when they are depleted to a certain point.  According to GM-Volt.com, "The car is designed to arrive to destination at roughly 30%-35% of the battery's state of charge."

According to Motor Trend, "Reports suggest the Volt can make it through the EPA test cycle -- which from 2008 includes high speed running, air conditioning load, and cold start tests in addition to the city and highway cycles -- with the internal combustion engine running about 15 percent of the time."  That result would give the Volt "an EPA fuel consumption rating somewhere north of 100mpg. But the EPA apparently wants to certify the Volt differently."  Because it includes a gasoline engine, the EPA considers the Volt a hybrid -- even though that gasoline engine doesn't power the transmission, acting only as a generator.  EPA hybrid testing rules require that the cars finish the full suite of tests with their batteries fully charged -- not at the 30 percent the Volt is designed to retain at the end of most drives.   If the Volt were required to finish the tests with its battery fully charged, its fuel consumption rate would instead be "just under 48mpg, because the internal combustion engine would have to be run essentially all the time to keep the batteries near full charge." (More at US News)

So what is it?  Electric car or plug-in hybrid?

Well fist I want to comment that the EPA is trying to apply an inappropriate method to calculate the Volt's efficiency, regardless of whether it's a plug-in hybrid or electric car.  The Volt isn't supposed to finish up with 100% charge - that's the whole point!  That's why it's got a freaking plug.  So the EPA is being stupid.

The thing is, the EPA has a method for testing electric cars.  That's how the Tesla can say it gets 244 miles per charge - that was the EPA's determination.  So what the EPA should do is test it in electric mode, say it gets 40 miles per charge in fully electric mode (or whatever the range is), then test it in range-extended mode and get an efficiency for that.  So then the sticker would say 40 miles per charge in electric mode and 50 mpg thereafter in range-extended mode.

To answer your question, the most accurate term is range-extended electric vehicle.  The tricky thing is that there are two kinds of plug-in hybrid: series and parallel.  The plug-in Prius, for example, will be a parallel hybrid, meaning both gas and electric motors will operate at the same time (though it will have a modest 12 miles in all electric mode, as long as you keep it below 60 mph or so).  The Volt is a series hybrid, meaning the gas doesn't kick in until the electric charge is depleted.  So to differentiate they call it range extended EV, which I think is a fair label, because on most trips you're not going over 40 miles.

Regardless, the EPA needs to stop being dumb and adapt a new efficiency measurement method for plug-in hybrids, particularly series types.

The EPA should be eliminated entirely .

A New Jersey privately owned company has developed technologies that will allow any SUV , V-8 engine or light truck to obtain 100+ MPG and a lot more for the general family 4 or 6 cylinders . No change in infrastructure or storage tanks needed . The technology produces hydrogen on demand .

Ford Motor Company aproached this company and on 08/07 the engineering departments of both companies spent the day exchanging information , etc . As a result an announcement was made on 09/13 that the two companies are doing a joint venture . Ford has been testing phase #1 of the technologies on 48 platforms for several weeks , are excited about the results and are requesting more .

Phase #2 is the " Crown Jewel " .

It's best to go to the website and view the two videos that will explain the technologies .

http://www.minimizefuelprice.com

The EPA doesn't work for the consumer  , they work for industry even though on the taxpayer's payroll . They are as useless as teets on a boar . These technologies were submitted for testing and approval last November and they haven't even looked at it .

It'll get done now that Ford is involved because they own their own CARB approved independent laboratory .

Sorry, but as someone who regularly works with the EPA, I can tell you they do a lot of important stuff.  The agency could certainly work better, but it's extremely important.

And no offense, but I don't buy the hydrogen boosting car mileage over 100 mpg.  That's simply not possible.