The auto industry was stunned when, on August 11, 2009, General Motors claimed in a hyped up advertising campaign that the Chevrolet Volt received a fuel efficiency rating of 230 mpg. Flash forward to today and now Nissan is claiming that the Nissan Leaf MPG has received a fuel economy rating of 99 miles per gallon from the federal government.
After all the hype, the EPA withdrew its 230 mpg rating from the Volt because it intended to change the way fuel economy ratings would be determined. The agency has not yet concluded its tests of the Volt. Now Nissan's claims that its Leaf gets 99 mpg may be somewhat exaggerated too. The Environmental Protection Agency, which tests vehicles for emissions and fuel economy, has set Leaf's official range at 73 miles on a full charged battery. However, the EPA has calculated that the Leaf's miles per gallon rating is 99. It came to that conclusion by combining ratings of 106 mpg in the city and 92 mpg on the highway after putting the car through five tests to simulate varying driving conditions and levels of climate-control usage. Moreover, the EPA's mpg rating is based on a formula in which 33.7 kilowatt hours of electricity is equal to one gallon of gasoline. For comparison, the Toyota Prius has a fuel efficiency rating of 50 mpg.
Both the 99 mpg rating and the 73 mile range figures will appear on Leaf's fuel economy window label. The label will also show that the estimated yearly electricity costs of the Leaf are $561. The annual fuel costs of the Toyota Prius has been determined to be $867. For comparison, the annual fuel costs for a Chevrolet Malibu has been determined to be $1,669. Electricity costs are assumed to be 12 cents a kilowatt hour. In addition, there will also be a sticker approved by the Federal Trade Commission showing the car's range as 96 to 110 miles. The FTC regulates advertising of alternative fuel vehicles. Needless to say, the two estimates of range will no doubt confuse shoppers.
Analysts believe that range anxiety, the fear that an electric car will run out of energy before it reaches the driver's chosen destination, may cause many potential buyers to shy away from purchasing a Leaf.
Shoppers who read the Leaf's EPA sticker will also learn that the car needs seven hours to charge through a 240 volt outlet and will consume 34 kilowatt hours every 100 miles. The sticker will also show that the Leaf receives the best possible scores for emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants.
The Leaf will be available in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona and Tennessee starting in December. It will be available in Texas and Hawaii in January. Finally, it will appear in other states later in 2011.