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ReprintsGM: 16 hybrids by 2012
Automaker plans to introduce hybrid model every 4 months
Jamie LaReau
and Richard Truett
Automotive News
March 4, 2008 - 4:28 pm ET
General Motors plans to offer at least 16 hybrid models by 2012, CEO Rick Wagoner told reporters today at the Geneva auto show. The models will be powered by two GM-designed systems. Two versions of the Two Mode full hybrid powertrain will be used in trucks, SUVs and crossovers. One is for rear-wheel and all-wheel-drive vehicles such as the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon. The other is a front-wheel-drive Two Mode system scheduled to launch in the Saturn Vue next year. Two Mode systems improve fuel efficiency in both city and highway driving because electric batteries help power the vehicle at highway speeds. Other hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius, use only the batteries in city driving and for acceleration. The second system is designed for budget-conscious buyers and is a mild hybrid belt-alternator system. At the Geneva show today, GM introduced a new version of its mild hybrid that uses lithium ion batteries. Production is scheduled to start in 2010. Wagoner said GM will, on average, introduce one hybrid model every four months until 2012. But the gasoline-electric Chevrolet Volt is not included in that total, said GM spokesman Brian Corbett. He said GM doesn't consider the Volt a hybrid. The Volt is powered by an electric motor only, but it uses a small gasoline engine to recharge the vehicle's battery pack. Corbett said the 16 hybrids would be launched in North America, Asia and possibly Europe. GM currently offers four hybrids -- the Chevrolet Tahoe and Malibu and the Saturn Aura and Vue. |
You can reach Jamie LaReau at jlareau@crain.com.
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