General Motors announced on Friday that the automaker has reached a tentative agreement with the California Air Resources Board – better known as CARB – that could allow the upcoming Volt to be classified as a 100 mpg vehicle, a major marketing boon for the new vehicle.
No classification announcement has been made official since the Volt – expected to be the first plug-in extended-range electric vehicle – requires an entirely different system of measuring fuel economy. GM says that the Volt won’t use any fuel for the first 40 miles of driving, which has prompted the Detroit-based automaker to seek the vaunted 100 mpg rating from the Environmental Protection Agency.
CARB says that it plans to finalize its revised emissions testing procedures by the end of this year. A public meeting to finalize the procedures is scheduled for Dec. 11. The EPA told the Detroit News that it will “have a final policy soon” that will help classify the Volt.
