There's a lot of buzz about the GM Volt right now. Planned for production, this all-electric vehicle is touting a fuel economy equivalent to 240+ MPG. But how is that number estimated, and is it what people will really get in real world driving scenarios.

Lets start with the basics. The Volt can go 40 miles on a full charge. That's it. Once the 40 miles is up, a gasoline-powered generator (read: engine) turns on and begins recharging the batteries so the vehicle can keep traveling. GM estimates 50 MPG when the generator is turned on. And since it takes 6.5 hours to recharge the Volt, you'll have to run that generator if you want to get anywhere.

Now, for most people, I'd say probably 70-80% of the population, 40 miles in one day is plenty of mileage to commute to and from work. When you get home, you can plug in your batteries for an overnight recharge. Assuming 40 miles was enough distance for you, then you will have consumed zero drops of fuel that day. Now lets extend that scenario. Lets say you had to drive 100 miles in a day. Then by the numbers provided, you will have consumed 1.2 gallons of gas to go 100 MPG. Not bad, thats roughly 83 MPG, plus the cost of your electricity. And right now, that is the big variable here. The cost of electricity. Right now, people use electricity for everything but their vehicles, so if say 15% of the population start using all-electric vehicles, that's going to create a considerable amount demand for energy, a demand that I don't think we are prepared for. California in particular, has strict emissions laws and a desperate need for more fuel efficient vehicles, but energy is already in such high demand, that electricity prices could shoot through the roof and rolling black outs would be another part of our daily lives.

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