In a Webcast press conference this morning, General Motors announced the fuel economy figures for the Chevrolet Volt extended-range vehicle. GM claims more than 100 mpg overall for the Volt, with a city fuel economy rating of 230 mpg based on "proposed EPA methodology for labeling plug-in vehicles." GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson says he is confident these figures are representative of what consumers will experience. (Once the car goes on sale, we look forward to seeing how it performs in Consumer Reports' fuel economy tests.)

The wheels are driven exclusively by electricity, with an E85-compatible engine available to provide additional electricity when needed. GM claims the Volt will travel up to 40 miles on power from its 220 lithium-ion cells alone. The 1.4-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine can extend that range as needed to more than 300 miles. The electric drive unit produces 150 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft. of torque.

GM estimates that the Volt could use about 25 kilowatt hours per 100 miles in city driving, based on EPA methodology. GM calculates that a typical Volt driver would pay about $2.75 for electricity to travel 100 miles, or less than 3 cents per mile, based on a U.S. average electricity cost of 11 cents per kWh.

Production for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt is scheduled to begin in late 2010.

See our Chevrolet Volt preview for more information. And read: "2011 Chevrolet Volt: Fuel economy results may vary."

—Jeff Bartlett