GM's humongous hybrid SUV's have garnered a lot of attention and copped a few awards, thanks to what is admittedly a pretty slick drivetrain (and even slicker PR campaign). What GM isn't publicizing is that it isn't "their" drivetrain; it was developed jointly with BMW and DaimlerChrysler. When the divorce became final, Daimler and Chrysler got joint custody, so now four different manufacturers get to share the wealth. The Detroit Free Press has a list of all the models where you can expect to see them use the magic tranny that makes it all work. While improving truck mileage is a good thing, cars are conspicuously absent from this list. So if you don't want to buy a truck but want more than GM's semi-hybrid passenger cars, you'll still have to look towards the Brands of the Rising Sun. It makes one wonder if they're avoiding that market because the system won't work in anything smaller than an SUV, and/or they don't want the inevitable comparison with class-leader Toyota Prius.
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Slick hybrid drivetrain in car = 20% better mpg
than gas counterpart.
same system in truck = 28% better mpg than gas counterpart.
These are guesstimates for comparisons
The system will be used in the VUE Green Line for MY2009. Oops, that’s not a car..but….wait…it’s not a truck either. It is a FWD, transverse engine application in a unibody vehicle, which is kinda what cars are, right? So, yup, it will work in cars too. And Phelan needs to do his homework.
http://media.gm.com/featured_vehicles/SaturnVueGL_2ModeHybrid_080122.htm
Buick LaCrosse 2-mode hybrid was recently unveiled in China.
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/22/buick-lacrosse-hybrid-debuts-in-china/
Due to cost issues and transmission constraints – currently 90/day on one shift, due to go to 2 shifts soon – who knows when a car with 2-mode will be introduced in the US? Such a vehicle would go up against the Prius ($21k+) and Camry ($24k+) hybrids, for starters, and the Vue 2-mode is supposed to start at $30k+ – makes sense for Buick China to get 2-mode first because it’s a premium brand there and they can justify charging the premium.
There’s some good business strategy behind the SUV-hybrid combination. Based on sales of SUV’s during the era of cheap gas, we KNOW people want them. Making them a little more green is probably enough to put people over the top when choosing among mini-vans, crossovers, and the hybrid SUV’s. It lets GM leverage their investment in these types of vehicles, which are probably among their most profitable offerings.
starlightmica :
February 21st, 2008 at 9:55 am Edit This
Buick LaCrosse 2-mode hybrid was recently unveiled in China.
I don’t know where Autoblog got the idea the LaCrosse is a two-mode hybrid. Nowhere in the press release does it say the Lacrosse is a two-mode hybrid.
From the press release announcing the LaCrosse Hybrid:
Shanghai GM will later launch another, as yet unnamed, vehicle with an advanced two-mode hybrid system.
From Autobloggreen:
The hybrid will be based on the Saturn Aura hybrid and the pricing and mileage difference ($2,500 premium and 25 percent improvement in mileage) hints the hybrid system is mild and not GM’s two mode system.
And even Motor Trend got it right:
An as-yet-unnamed future two-mode hybrid will be launched later boasting some 50 percent greater fuel economy than a standard gasoline-powered engine.
Frank:
Thanks, I stand corrected. I suppose the LaCrosse has the good old BAS setup, then.
Elsewhere it was observed that people don’t complain about the fuel economy of a bulldozer.
No one buys a Yukaburbahoe expecting good gas mileage. Will they put an extra $10K into the truck to make it “green” and improve the fuel economy from “poor” to “mediocre” in the city and “nearly identically bad” on the highway? Or will they take that $10K (in unused credit) and put it into a bigger boat to tow behind the truck?
Back in 2005 when the two-mode was introduced, GM said that the two-mode would also end up in the Malibu. They seem to have backed away from that, even thought the FWD unit from the VUE would fit readily. Sales of non-distinctive hybrid sedans (Civic, Altima, Accord, Camry), have not been that hot. Looks like GM got cold feet on the development costs, and is betting it all on the Volt.
Kix-I think the Tahoe Hybrid buyers are already getting Lambda platforms.
Similar mpg to the two-mode, better interior and 20K in the pocket.
The Tahoe two-mode should flop.
Hard.
Bunter
This will simply cause further erosion of their market share of car sales. So much for being serious about cars.
Bunter, You may be right. In which case, it’s $20K towards the boat.
A hybrid SUV is a dumb idea. Let’s face it, most people use them to carry around a bunch of rugrats, not to climb Mount Everest or to tow a huge trailer around. If somebody needs to carry around a bunch of rugrats and cares about fuel economy, they aren’t buying a SUV, they are buying a minivan.
Now, a hybrid minivan is a great idea. First company who makes one wins!
What’s a Lambda? Is that the Acadia cute-ute buggy I see taking football fans from Lambeau Field on Highway 41? Does it share a platform with a GM car the way a Ford Escape is supposed to be a Mondeo in reality?
What kind of passenger capacity/towing/other utility can you expect from it. If it is 90 percent of what a Yukahoe does, why would anyone buy a Yukahoe, hybrid or not? Is it just a question of fashion, or is there some capability of the frame-rail SUV that the CUV lacks (apart from using more gas and costing more)?