Attila Dimedici writes “This article says the Chevy Volt is not what GM claimed it was: an Extended Range Electric Vehicle. The Volt is simply a plug-in hybrid. Instead of a vehicle that is only driven with the electric drive train that uses a gasoline engine to charge the batteries, the Volt actually uses the gasoline engine to drive the front wheels at speeds above 70 miles per hour or when the batteries run down. Additionally, the Volt gets nowhere near the 230 mpg that GM was claiming for it. If this is all true, why did GM misrepresent the car? The facts as stated in the article make the Volt a pretty decent competitor to the Prius and other hybrids already on the market.” A post at the Car Connection blog takes the opposing view, saying that accusations of GM “lying” are overhyped, since the capability to power the wheels with gasoline is reserved for situations where electricity isn’t a viable option. The author says GM didn’t mention this ability before now due to concerns over patents and competition from other companies.

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GM Criticized Over Chevy Volt’s Hybrid Similarities