“Green” cars range from hybrids, to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) to electric vehicles (EVs), and each of those types of vehicles has different qualities that make them ideal for different buyers. Some of the biggest motivating factors for consumers that are looking for a new “green” vehicle is convenience, fuel consumption, fuel costs and greenhouse emissions, so we’re going to take a look at all of those factors and their individual numbers for three of Chevy’s “green” vehicles, the Chevy Malibu Hybrid, Chevy Bolt EV and Chevy Volt.
Chevy Malibu Hybrid
The Chevy Malibu Hybrid is a great option for consumers who want a car that is “greener” than vehicles that have a traditional internal combustion engine, but don’t have to worry about driving a new “type” of vehicle or having a decreased driving range. Hybrid vehicles use batteries that assist the internal combustion engine with some tasks, therefore the engine uses less gas, emits less greenhouse gases and is also a little more affordable to drive. But the tasks the battery is able to assist with are limited, so the reduction of CO2 emissions or savings in fuel costs of a hybrid aren’t as significant as those from a PHEV or EV.
The Chevy Malibu Hybrid is equipped with a 1.8-liter hybrid four-cylinder engine. The engine helps the Malibu Hybrid achieve a fuel economy of 49 mpg in the city, 43 mpg on the highway, and a combined city/highway fuel economy of 46 mpg. Since hybrid vehicles are very similar to non-hybrid vehicles, they have fuel tanks that are just as large non-hybrid vehicles, but since the vehicles have a better fuel economy, hybrid vehicles tend to have an incredible driving distance, and that’s definitely the case for the Malibu Hybrid. The Chevy Malibu Hybrid has a total driving distance of 598 miles on a full tank of gas.
The Chevy Malibu Hybrid is definitely a great choice for people looking to save money in fuel costs. Fueleconomy.gov estimates that the average driver spends about $900 per year in fuel costs and after five years of driving the Malibu Hybrid, the average driver will save about $3,250 in comparison to the average vehicle.
Chevy Malibu Hybrid Fuel Economy
49/43/46 city/highway/combined
598 miles of total driving range
Annual Fuel Costs: $900
Savings in Comparison to Average Vehicle After 5 Years: $3,250
Cost to Drive 25 Miles: $1.49
Chevy Volt
The Chevy Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), and PHEVs are a popular choice among consumers because they significantly increase fuel savings and reduce CO2 emissions in comparison to hybrid and non-hybrid vehicles, and they don’t require a user to rely on electric power. PHEVs have both an internal combustion engine and a battery that is large enough to power the vehicle on its own. This makes it possible for the car to be driven on pure electricity, on gas or a combination of both. Though driving on pure electricity is ideal for most “green” drivers, the concern of some drivers is the time it takes to recharge the battery if it runs out of power, so having an internal combustion engine is a great feature.
The Chevy Volt is equipped with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and am 18.4 kWh lithium-ion battery. Since PHEVs can be powered by pure electricity for a significant distance, they have additional measurements of fuel economy, including MPGe, which stands for miles per gallon equivalent. They Chevy Volt’s internal combustion engine has a combined city/highway fuel economy of 42, which means that is the fuel economy of the vehicle when only powered by gas. When the Volt’s battery and engine are working together, the Chevy Volt has a combined fuel economy of 106 MPGe, and the Chevy Volt’s battery can power the vehicle for up to 53 miles without using a drop of gas. Finally, the Chevy Volt has a total driving distance of 420 miles, which means a fuel tank of gas and a fully-charged battery.
The Chevy Volt offers great savings in fuel economy. Fueleconomy.gov estimates the average driver spends about $700 in fuel costs per year, and in five years the average driver will save up to $4,250 in fuel costs in comparison to the average vehicle, which is $1,000 more than the Chevy Malibu Hybrid.
Chevy Volt Fuel Economy
Gas Engine: 42 MPG combined city/highway
Battery: 53 miles of total driving range
Hybrid Mode: 106 MPGe
420 miles of total driving range
Annual Fuel Costs: $700
Savings in comparison to average vehicle after 5 years: $4,250
Cost to drive 25 miles: $1.01 when powered by electricity and $1.64 when powered by gasoline
Chevy Bolt EV
Consumers looking for the greenest vehicle possible will want to opt for an electric vehicle like the Chevy Bolt EV. Electric vehicles don’t have an internal combustion engine because the battery powertrain is powerful enough to power the entire vehicle. The reliance on electricity results in great fuel savings and the vehicle doesn’t produce any tailpipe emissions ever — there’s not even an exhaust. However, some consumers are hesitant about fully switching over to an EV because they can’t travel as far as PHEVs, hybrids or non-hybrids when they have a fully-charged battery, but they do have enough power to handle the average daily commute.
The Chevy Bolt EV is equipped with a 60 kWh lithium-ion battery, and it gives the Chevy Bolt EV a total driving range of 238 miles, which is one of the largest driving ranges available. The Bolt EV’s fuel economy is only measured in MPGe and it has a combined city/highway fuel economy of 119 MPGe.
Fueleconomy.gov estimates that the average driver will spend about $550 in fuel costs per year and after five years, the average driver will save $5,000 in fuel costs in comparison to the average vehicle.
Chevy Bolt EV Fuel Economy
Battery: 119 MPGe combined city/highway
238 miles of total driving range
Annual Fuel Costs: $550
Savings in comparison to average vehicle after 5 years: $5,000
Cost to drive 25 miles: $.92
CO2 Emissions
Buyers interested in a “green” vehicle for the sole purpose of reducing the amount of tailpipe emissions as well as their energy impact score will want to opt for an EV. EVs like the Chevy Bolt EV don’t emit any tailpipe emissions, and since they rely on electricity, which is generally provided by cleaner fuel sources than gasoline, they have a lower energy impact score.
Chevy Bolt
Tailpipe Emissions: 0
Energy Impact Score: .2 barrels (or 8.4 gallons) of petroleum per year. Fueleconomy.gov estimates the source of the petroleum is from U.S. resources.
Chevy Volt
Tailpipe Emissions: Average of 51 grams per mile — but when driven in EV mode, there are no tailpipe emissions
Energy Impact Score: 2 barrels (or 84 gallons) of petroleum per year. Fueleconomy.gov estimates the source of the petroleum is an even split between U.S. resources and imported resources.
Chevy Malibu Hybrid
Tailpipe Emissions: Average of 194 grams per mile
Energy Impact Score: 7.2 barrels (or 302.4 gallons) of petroleum per year. Fueleconomy.gov estimates the U.S. is the resource of 71% of the petroleum and imported resources supply about 28% of the petroleum.
Interested in any of these “green” vehicles? Come by Miami Lakes Automall and you can test drive every single model and get a feel for which vehicle would be best for your needs. You can also view all of our Chevy inventory including the Chevy Bolt EV, Chevy Volt and Chevy Malibu Hybrid, online.