Is The MPG Claim Still Relevant?
In light of General Motors recent claim of 230 mpg for the fuel economy of the upcoming gas/electric Chevrolet Volt, Consumer Reports and the XPrize Foundation, sponsor of the Progressive Automotive XPrize for vehicles that achieve 100 mpg, think a more inclusive, technology-neutral measurement needs to be devised. Many teams competing for the Automotive XPrize have entered cars that run on electricity, fuel other than gasoline, or a combination of power sources. The competition aims to award a $10 million prize for creating a car that gets 100 mpg; can be mass produced; and could be sold for an affordable price.
The mpg designation is the American standard of measuring gasoline, but for other energy sources, we believe a more neutral measure needs to be considered. The Automotive XPrize will rely on a measurement it calls miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe). MPGe will use a formula to convert the use of heat energy into the equivalent of burning a gallon of gasoline. It will calculate the energy the cars use attributable to all sources used to propel the car…(more @ Consumer Reports Blog)
