The battle of future automotive technologies has taken center stage, with the Chevy Volt and Nissan LEAF vying for the number one position for cars that go beyond hybrid. Intensifying the fight are the recent EPA mileage claims that both manufacturers have released. Chevrolet recently announced that the range-extended Volt will be rated at 230 MPG, and a day later Nissan rebutted with their announcement that the LEAF will be rated at 367 MPG. The problem with these numbers is twofold: First of all, the EPA has yet to confirm the figures. Second, the EPA may still change its method of calculating the “mileage” of these electric cars. As you may already know, the LEAF uses no gasoline at all, and the Volt only uses gasoline if its batteries are depleted. So the big question is, how in the world do you determine how efficient these cars really are, and how do you compare to conventional gas or hybrid vehicles?

Comparing the Volt to the LEAF is like comparing apples to oranges. The Volt is what Chevy calls a range-extended vehicle. The Volt will run up to a claimed 40 miles before the batteries are depleted, at which point the gasoline engine begins to run and works as a generator to power the electric motor, which drives the wheels. Unlike conventional hybrids, the gasoline engine solely works as a generator and never directly drives the car. (Read more about the Volt). The LEAF, on the other hand, is purely an electric vehicle, capable of going about 100 miles. At that point, you have two options: pull over and abandon your vehicle, or recharge the batteries through an electrical outlet. Adding recharge stations to our current infrastructure is vital to helping Nissan sell its LEAF to mainstream consumers. (Read more about the LEAF).

The EPA has a new method of calculating the mileage of plug-in hybrids, which is what Chevrolet and Nissan used to make their MPG claims. The EPA’s new methodology claims that plug-in hybrids will spend more time in the city using solely electrical power and less time on the highways using gasoline power, compared to conventional vehicles. As you can see, there is already a problem here considering the LEAF has no gasoline engine.

Using the EPA’s methodology of calculating how many kilowatt hours are used per 100 miles traveled, GM claims that the Volt will cost about $2.75 in electricity to travel 100 miles, or a little less than 3 cents per mile. This statement makes the assumption that the driver recharges the batteries every night and doesn’t use the gasoline engine at all. The EPA has yet to determine how to test the Volt for an MPG rating, but GM is not happy with this fact: if the EPA forces the onboard gasoline engine to run through the entire test, the Volt would only achieve around 45 MPG, slightly less than a Prius. Nissan, on the other hand, claims that the LEAF will be 50% more efficient than the Volt in electric mode and would therefore significantly less to operate. We will see next year when the official production cars are released and the EPA has finalized its methodology.

The final round of the battle will be over price. Neither GM nor Nissan has posted official prices, and it is also unconfirmed as to whether or not these preliminary prices include the $7,500 government rebate. Right now it appears that the Volt will sell for around $40,000-$45,000 and the LEAF for $25,000-$30,000. As stated above, we cannot confirm if this includes the rebate. To further complicate pricing is the fact that both companies are considering separately leasing the battery packs, which are by far the most expensive part of the vehicle.

The EPA has surely taken notice of this bout and the triple digit MPG claims, and will soon be testing the vehicles and possibly creating a new standard that doesn’t focus on MPG but focuses on electrical efficiency. The obvious problem here is for the consumer who still needs a method for comparing gasoline, hybrid, and electric vehicles. The EPA’s official rating will surely weigh heavily on a consumer’s decision to buy a $40,000 Volt over a Prius or Insight at half the price. We will keep you posted of further developments.

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