The Greening of GM: A Plug-in Hybrid on the Way

November 26, 2006 – Vol. 11 No. 36

THE GREENING OF GM: A PLUG-IN HYBRID ON THE WAY.

GM must be getting a little nervous. The trend is growing for greener, more fuel efficient cars, but the company doesn’t have a reputation for them. Toyota, in part because of its green hybrids (particularly the Prius), is nipping at GM’s heals, sales wise.

What’s GM to do to restore confidence, bring sales back in the company? Bring its own hybrids into the market quickly: Saturn’s Vue and Aura Green Line hybrids, Chevy’s Malibu hybrid as well as some light truck hybrid offerings are the first step and on their way to showrooms. Then, to top off its sudden greenness, officially announce a really high fuel economy, plug-in hybrid before Toyota makes its plug-in official.

So here’s GM’s first plug-in.

The vehicle will be a next generation Saturn Vue Green Line hybrid that will use GM’s new 2-mode hybrid system. It will have a lithium-ion battery pack and, according to the company, offer fuel efficiency twice that any current SUV. (If this statement from GM includes Ford’s Escape Hybrid in two-wheel drive form, the new plug-in Vue Green Line should get about 70 miles per gallon in all-electric mode.)

GM says the SUV will travel more than ten miles in battery-electric mode and can be plugged into any household exterior outlet for recharging.

The gas engine in the Vue Green Line will be a 3.6 liter V-6.

The 2-mode hybrid technology features two electric motors and two driving modes - one for city driving, one highway.

And when will it be in showrooms? That’s undeclared, but GM is careful to say that the first front wheel drive application of its 2-mode hybrid system - WITHOUT PLUG-IN TECHNOLOGY - will appear in the next gen Vue Green Line due in 2008. (I added the caps to make sure you’d read it.)

Interestingly the current and just introduced Saturn Vue Green Line, which uses a very different hybrid system, appears to have a very short life span. Visit GM at http://www.gm.com/ , http://media.gmeurope.com/