For a while, it seemed like the Japanese, and especially Toyota, had a monopoly on the green car crown. But it appears that the General is intent on taking it away in the not-too-distant future. Take a look at the Chevy Volt hybrid concept. The vehicle is theoretically capable of 150 miles per gallon. Impossible you say? Well, with concept cars, anything is possible.
You see, the concept is a plug-in series hybrid (like a diesel locomotive) with a lithium-ion battery pack and internal-combustion (IC) back-up engine. With the battery pack fully-charged, the car is (could be, more accurately) capable of 40 miles on straight electric power alone, and 20 miles with the IC engine running at a constant speed and load (most efficient) getting 50 miles per gallon. Using Chevy's patented voodoo math, out pops 150 mpg.
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