Nissan slams GM’s Chevy Volt with claim of 367 mpg for its Leaf

GM started a boasting war yesterday with its announcement that the Chevy Volt will provide 230 mpg according to a new mileage formula tailored for plug-in hybrid vehicles from the EPA. That sort of jump in efficiency immediately demanded the attention of the media, and gave competitors like Toyota, Honda and Nissan a figurative slap in the face.

Nissan responded in kind on its Twitter feed yesterday and one-upped the Chevy Volt by claiming its all-electric Leaf will pummel out an equivalent of 367 mpg using the same formula. This sort of jockeying begs the question, how realistic is the claim from GM and Nissan, and are they actually using the same formula?

The EPA is in the best position to answer that question, but the agency isn’t even expressing support of GM’s original claim, it told Green Car Advisor that:

EPA has not tested a Chevy Volt and therefore cannot confirm the fuel economy values claimed by GM. EPA does applaud GM's commitment to designing and building the car of the future - an American-made car that will save families money, significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create good-paying American jobs. We're proud to see American companies and American workers leading the world in the clean energy innovations that will shape the 21st century economy.

Those are patriotic words but they don’t create any additional clarity. Specifics on how GM, or Nissan for that matter calculated their mpg claims have not yet surfaced, but it’s clear that consumers need a new way of comparing the efficiency of vehicles. Gasoline already isn’t the only option, and soon other forms of energy will begin to encroach on its ubiquity.

In its response, Nissan provided precious little information on its Twitter feed, mentioning only “Nissan Leaf = 367 mpg, no tailpipe, and no gas required. Oh yeah, and it'll be affordable too!” and shortly after “to clarify our previous tweet, the DOE formula estimates 367mpg for Nissan LEAF”. The matter is further complicated by the fact that the Nissan Leaf uses no gasoline at all, so the company must be making relative comparisons based on an analysis of overall energy output.

Nissan is taking a hyper approach to marketing the Leaf through social networking. The main site has a few pages of information with a foundation of Tweets burgeoning underneath, and its actively engaging with the community at large. GM is acting similarly on its Voltage site, but incorporates additional functionality like forums and polls.

It’s a good sign that both companies are taking consumer efficiency demands seriously now, and engaging with people in a human way. Now if we could only see a clear overall measure of energy efficiency on their vehicle offerings the stage would be set for a new competitive environment.