Speaking of GM’s ambivalence towards energy efficient vehicles, Bob Lutz’s determination that 95 percent of America won’t pay a hybrid premium seems to be bearing more fruit. GM’s 26/34 mpg Malibu mild hybrid has been canceled, reports Left Lane News (blog). The news is hailed as “unsurprising,” considering the hybrid Malibu’s $2,000 premium only improved mileage by 4 mpg in the city and 1 mpg on the highway over a six-speed auto, four-pot ‘bu LT. Meanwhile, despite Penske’s rescue of Saturn, the planned Vue Two-Mode Hybrid has also been axed.
The Vue hybrid had been completed but was delayed several times. GM’s two-mode system should be available in a Chevy Equinox, but not until 2011 because the Equinox won’t use the already-developed 3.6-liter engine. Instead, the system is being adapted for the 3.0 V6 or a 2.2-liter four-pot. Because why not? It seems that GM is so invested in the Volt that short-term hybrid options are being delayed.
LOL, the government’s various demands are actually making GM *less* efficient.
It feels like I’m watching the Daily Show 24/7.
It’s a good move. GM has a gaggle of hybrid systems, none of which are competitive. They need to focus on something and make that a success.
Considering that even Toyota barely makes profits off of the most well known and highest selling hybrid vehicle out there, this isn’t necessarily a bad move. The bad move was trying to get in the game at this level to begin with, i.e. making hybrid versions of well known sedans already in the line-up.
The bottom line is that unless the hybrid version offers significantly better mileage over the non-hybrid then there is little reason to pony up the dough for one.
GM has a gaggle of hybrid systems, none of which are competitive.
Actually, GM’s 2-mode hybrid system is quite good, but since the only vehicles that offer it are trucks, it’s not likely to be on the list for people looking at Insights and Priuses (Prii?). They screwed the pooch big time with the Malibu, making it a (very) mild hybrid, with minimal fuel ecomomy increases over regular 4 banger Malibus. That said, GM is capable of engineering and building a good hybrid vehicle, unfortunately I think the management team has kept them from going about it the right way. If they had used the money (that was spent on the truck system) to design a 2-mode system for midsize and compact cars, they’d be ready for the soon-to-come $4 gal. gasoline. Instead, their moron management wanted to keep chasing profits from trucks and SUVs, further crippling GM’s future for quick cash in the here-and-now.
Actually, GM’s 2-mode hybrid system is quite good
Yes, but it’s so expensive and/or physically large that it can’t be adapted into cars that hybrid intenders want to buy.
GM never wanted to understand the hybrid market. To be fair, neither did Honda, but at least Honda is admitting that Toyota picked the smart path.
Considering that even Toyota barely makes profits off of the most well known and highest selling hybrid vehicle out there
Where’d you get that from? Somewhere down south where the sun don’t shine, you say? Or was it at Maximum Bob’s House of FUD?
Who cares if it’s only 2MPG difference, it’s smug & trendy to drive a Hybrid!
Yes, but it’s so expensive and/or physically large that it can’t be adapted into cars that hybrid intenders want to buy.
That’s why I say GM screwed the pooch on the Malibu. The 2-mode system should have been designed for that car, not trucks. Had that been the case, it would have been much more flexible than a system that won’t fit in FWD applications. More proof of management without a clue.
GM shot itself in the foot by trying to call these “hybrid’s”. It just made them somewhat of a joke. If GM had made the belt-start assist system standard (or at least optional) in all their Malibu’s/Cruze’s/etc as a simple intelligent fuel-saving feature; their goodwill image would have been significantly improved rather than lauded.
Yeah but we know that hybrids are just a fad for smug movie stars and false economy to start with so who cares.
Same old stupid management doing the same stupid things. They are headed down the same path that just brought them to deaths door.
Instead of learning from their half assed attempt and learning from their stupidity they are going to do what they always do and just trash the model and go after the next “big thing”.
They needed to be working their asses off and a better “mild” hybrid system, or start stop is more what it really is, so they can use it in all models up and down the lineup. And eventually replacing all models with this as a standard feature. Almost all their cars now made are autos so if they can make the system invisible to the driver no one would know or care.
Hello stupid GM management if your whole fleet has this system, a better designed next gen of it, it would help your CAFE average.
Same idiots running the show, same failed company, except now they are wasting piles of our money doing stupid things.
The 2-mode system should have been designed for that car, not trucks
That goes against what we’ll call the GM Law Of Product Planning: you do not throw technology and money at low-volume, low-margin products. Ever.
One of the reasons GM put Two-Mode in the trucks first is because they sell a lot of trucks and they’d figured they would make back the costs on volume, instead of putting it into a Saab (which had the demographics) or Cobalt/Malibu/HHR (which would at least appeal to some hybrid buyers).
The problems with this logic are twofold: a) truck buyers don’t give a damn about mileage and b) you can’t make it back on volume if you’re not making a profit. This would have been obvious, if people like Mark La Neve not had the brains of a cuttlefish.
Rarely has a company spent so much money to such poor effect. EV-1, Saturn Green Line, hybrid monster trucks … the list goes on and on. GM has not built a single successful hybrid or all electric.
psarhjinian:
Cuttlefish are cool, and should not be compared to Mark La Neve. They both might be fishy-smelling rubbery tentacled invertebrates who belong in deep salt water, but at least cuttlefish are good at what they do.
PS: you’re dead right about GM’s @#$%ed-up hyrid ‘strategy.’
http://mrbarlow.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/are-you-smarter-than-a-cuttlefish/
BlueBrat: “Who cares if it’s only 2MPG difference, it’s smug & trendy to drive a Hybrid!”
Apparently, that’s not all that’s required to sell a hybrid, or GM would be in Fat City, wouldn’t they?
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This move almost makes sense. If the Volt is really the way to go, why bother supporting the hybrids that aren’t working out? Can them. If the Volt was really the way to go, I’d be terminating the two-mode program on the GMT-900s, too.
Unfortunately, “compact car” at $40K, means the Volt is NOT the way to go.
If I were making the decisions at GM, I’d be taking a harder look at making the BAS cost-effective. Toyota puts something similar in a Kei-car. There MUST be a way to do this profitably for GM in a fullsize vehicle.
The Malibu ‘Hybrid’ died the very day Ford announced the Fusion Hybrid – I mean really, why would you even contemplate a Malibu Hybrid after that?
But what’s going to happen to all of the extra Hybrid badges??? There’s no more room on their hybrid trucks and SUVs to stick another one!
So the engine turns off at traffic lights and stop signs?
Hell, I had a ’63 Chevy that did that!
There must be some mistake here. All the conspiracy stories about Obama’s team forcing GM to make green cars can’t be wrong can they? If so, why all the financial support for GM? To prevent further tanking of the economy? Nah.
in reality, the cost increase of the malibu hybrid is negligible because of the $1500 tax credit. Now the upcharge is only about $500, and for someone who drives a lot, 4 mpg would make that up quickly. Just saying…