Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf ready for December launch

Image: Chevrolet Volt.
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The two cars that are being looked upon as the bringers of change in the automotive world, Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, finally got their fuel economy ratings from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA).

Both the cars are ready to be launched this December and all eyes are going to be on them.

So, let's take a look at what to expect from them.

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Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf ready for December launch

Image: Interior view of Volt.

Chevrolet Volt

The EPA gave this General Motors hybrid a rating of 93 mpg when running on electric power only, and 37 mpg while on its gasoline powered engine.

The EPA gives rating based on the used amount of energy to power the car, that is MPG equivalent, or MPGe rating.

The used amount of electricity is converted based on the energy content in a gallon of gasoline.

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Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf ready for December launch

Image: Rear view of Volt.

With the help of MPGe rating consumers can compare Volt with vehicles run on other fuels.

The car's electric-only range as printed on its new label is 35 miles.

Volt is a four passenger, four-door hatchback that is operated by electricity produced by an on-board battery or gasoline engine that takes about eight hours to charge in normal 120V current.

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Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf ready for December launch

Image: A Volt getting charged.

With a 240V charging point the battery can be charged in three hours.

The carmaker has not compromised on any safety feature and Volt is going to be loaded with ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), traction control system, anti-skid system and air bags for both curtain and front side.

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Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf ready for December launch

Image: Nissan Leaf.

Nissan Leaf

The EPA has given Volt's competitor a rating of 99 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving.

According to Nissan Leaf has also been rated best-in-class for the environment due to its zero tailpipe emissions.

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Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf ready for December launch

Image: A Leaf getting charged.

The Leaf has 25kWh lithium-ion batteries and according to Nissan a 240 volt 13A domestic supply is expected to take 11 hours to charge the car while at 400 volt, 50kW the charging time comes down to about eight hours.

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Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf ready for December launch

Image: Interior view of Leaf.

Leaf has good interiors that include a white dashboard and in the absence of a traditional engine it has absolutely quiet interior.

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