![]() The Ford Focus EV, also newly launched, achieves 105 MPGe with an all-electric range of 76 miles (3.1 L/100 km), followed by the Nissan Leaf at 99 MPGe from its 73 miles (3.2 L/100 km) of all-electric range. The EPA rates the newly launched Mitsubishi i at 112 MPGe for its 62 miles (3.8 L/100 km) of all-electric range, second best in the industry. Three other fully electric cars, in addition to the Fit, rank ahead of the Volt and Prius PHEV in terms of MPGe. “I always like it when our number is bigger” compared with Toyota’s, Farah says. However, the ’13 Volt beats the 87 MPGe of arguably its principle competitor, the ’12 Toyota Prius plug-in EV that launched in March. GM’s announcement comes on the heels of news the all-electric Honda Fit will achieve 118 MPGe, the best in the industry, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The Volt also improves its miles-per-gallon equivalent, moving to 98 MPGe from 94 MPGe. It’s an extra three miles every day, and that adds up over a week.” “(The gain) will show up for those people who regularly deplete their battery. “It will enable another number of people to go gasoline-free in their daily driving,” he says, adding the increased range still may not make the Volt a sensible choice for those traveling long distances each day. Three more miles makes for a particularly significant improvement among commuters traveling less than 40 miles (64.4 km) per day, the target customer for the Volt, Farah says. The ’13 Volt will drive an average 38 miles (61.2 km) on a single charge, whereas the current model travels 35 miles (56.3 km). “It is incremental,” he tells WardsAuto during a conference call today to discuss changes to the Volt for ’13. “The No.1 thing our customers have been telling us is more is better in this particular case,” says Andrew Farah, chief engineer of the Volt. General Motors says the ’13 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle now will travel three miles (4.8 km) farther in EV mode, admitting the improvement represents an “incremental” gain but one its enthusiasts clamored for the most.
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