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GM Saturn VUE Likely First Plug-in Vehicle by Major Automaker: 2009…ish

September 14th, 2007 | Posted in: PHEV

A report was just published in the Detroit Press discussing an interview with Jill Lajdziak who is the Saturn brand general manager for GM, in which she indicated that the Saturn VUE plugin-in is set to arrive “2009ish”.

We know already that the Saturn VUE Greenline or hybrid arrived at dealerships in April of this year. This first version is a mild hybrid which uses a system known as the belt-alternator-starter or BAS, is highly affordable, uses engine stop/start technology and results in 20% fuel efficiency increase.

The next VUE Hybrid is set to debut in 2008, and will use the two-mode hybrid system. I have previously described this technology in detail when I test-drove the upcoming Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon two-mode hybrids (previous post).

This system has two electric motors, one for low speed and one for highway speed driving, plus a complicated CPU to determine which function is best. This car will get 45% efficiency improvements over the current non-hybrid model.
GM is also conferring on their Saturn VUE line, the distinction of possibility being the first mass-produced plug-in electric vehicle made by any major automaker.

This date of 2009 has been thrown around previously. We brought it up with Micky Bly, GM director of hybrid integration, when we interviewed him, at the time he would not guarantee that date (previous post).

The car also depends on lithium-ion technology, and will have a 10-mile all-electric range. From discussions I’ve had with multiple GM execs, the car is noted to have a “6-month jump” on the Volt. That means if the car makes in in 2009, the Volt could come in early in 2010.For the VUE, GM is testing battery systems from Saft/Johnson Controls as well as those from A123/Cobasys. From what I understand there may already be in working prototypes, although I have not confirmed that. The car does not use the E-flex series hybrid system, but is rather a modified 2-mode hybrid with plug-in capacity.

So, for those of you who can’t wait for the Volt, and don’t have to drive more than 10 miles, will this be your best option?

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Posted by: Lyle

13 Responses to “GM Saturn VUE Likely First Plug-in Vehicle by Major Automaker: 2009…ish”

rx_tx Says:
September 14th, 2007 at 9:39 am

Any plug-in hybrid made available by a large manufacturer gets my vote!!!! Because as soon as this happens everyone else will follow and soon it will be cheap as chips (as any other car ) to have a plug-in!!! Go GM!!!
Scott Says:
September 14th, 2007 at 10:47 am

The VUE plugin is the lost child in the PHEV world. When it comes out, it will probably be the most efficient and environmentally friendly car on the road. A 10 mile electric range is half of my commute. That’s Half the gas I will be burning on daily basis, at least! There’s all this talk about 40 mile electric ranges. I’m really upset that car makers are not putting more emphasis now on the currently feasible 10 to 20 mile ranges.

The Volt will happen, but what if I can’t afford a Volt? I want more options. Go Saturn!
Steven B Says:
September 14th, 2007 at 10:54 am

I’ve got a lot of questions about this. I really like the 2-mode hybrid with plug-in design, I should say first though. Also, I hope GM can get this out before a Prius factory-direct plug-in becomes available. That’s the only way that GM can defintively say that it is a techno-leader in cars. Elsewise people will still continue to say that GM is following Toyota.

But, I’ll continue to my questions, any idea what the average MPG will be for the average VUE driver (I’m guessing there aren’t specific stats on VUE drivers, but I’m still wondering). I’m guessing that it’ll actually be significantly high, considering that compact SUV drivers are largely urban commuters and such. So 10 miles all-electric is very significant.

Personally, I’d like to see a fuel economy calculator that uses expected electric-gas specs for the upcoming VUE and the E-flexers so you could readily plug-in numbers for expected gas prices, electricity costs, etc. and get cost per mile, and MPG. I think that would be a really good way to get people interested in EVs and PHEVs.

Also, how much is the plug-in VUE going to cost? I haven’t seen numbers on it, or on the regular upcoming 2-mode hybrid VUE. And last, how’s it going to be marketed do you think? I fully understand the PHEV concept, but I think a lot people may not be liable to understand how you can use electricity as a type of range-extension so you can get a lot more MPGs than otherwise. So one of my concerns is how you convince consumers who are new to plug-in vehicle technology to buy the 10-mile electric range-extension. Oh, and lastly, how many kwh is the VUE recharge going to be?

Anyway, though, I’m excited about this upcoming Saturn product. Sorry about posting so much in one sitting, but those are my thoughts and questions. Any responses, answers?
Steven B Says:
September 14th, 2007 at 10:56 am

One more questions (sorry) but how fast will the Saturn VUE-10 go in EV-only mode?
Dave G Says:
September 14th, 2007 at 11:35 am

While this certainly represents progress toward the ultimate goal, there are some issues:

1) As small SUVs go, the Saturn Vue is rather large and heavy. I wish it was more like the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4, both of which are around 500 pounds lighter.

2) Two electric motors and a fancy transmission that ties these with the ICE have to add even more weight.

3) A 10-mile range is not that exciting for me.

Also, I hope the all electric range isn’t limited to 40mph like the Prius.

But hey - it’s a start - we need to start somewhere!
Dave B Says:
September 14th, 2007 at 12:03 pm

How is this vehicle not prohibitively expensive? I mean, two-mode hybrid is a hell of a lot more complex than an all electric engine. What’s the cost of this puppy?

10 miles all-electric? Better than nothing.
Drake Says:
September 14th, 2007 at 1:39 pm

Yeah, this is a start. Any production-level PHEV is a good thing in my book.

Go GM!
Nick D Says:
September 14th, 2007 at 3:12 pm

[quote comment="7636"]
Personally, I’d like to see a fuel economy calculator that uses expected electric-gas specs for the upcoming VUE and the E-flexers so you could readily plug-in numbers for expected gas prices, electricity costs, etc. and get cost per mile, and MPG. quote]

DONE! - Email me and I will send it to you — dellrio123o@yahoo.com

Currently you input EV Range, EV Capactity (8 KWH for volt, 2? for PHEV Vue), ICE MPG (50 for volt, 20? for Vue), Daily commute Distance, Cost per KWH, Cost of Gas.

I prefilled it with PHEV VUE info becasue it is relevant to the post, also used Des Moines, IA Gas price from today (2.59) and the Des Moines, IA electricity cost (.08/KWH)

Then it Calculates Fuel Consumption, MPG, Cost per mile, and cost advantage per mile or the amount you save by using hybrid as opposed to gasoline.

If you want it to do more let me know, also if someone has a place to post it that would be cool, it is fun to play with - The volts information with a 41 mile commute would get you 2050MPG while 42 miles cuts that in half.

Anyone who wants it let me know - Again dellrio123o@yahoo.com
Steven B Says:
September 14th, 2007 at 11:48 pm

I think it would be cool if that formula could be put into a program here at gm-volt.com.
omegaman66 Says:
September 15th, 2007 at 2:09 am

Would be best to put it here but I have a website and if you want we can put it up there. Tell me more about the program. Is it just something to download or is it database driven? Php?
N Dell Says:
September 15th, 2007 at 7:35 am

I was bored at work, I have not done programming since high school and dont enjoy doing it, the calculator is a simple spreadsheet, nothing fancy anyone with a bit of time and knowledge of simple math formulas could have done it. I have it saved as a .xls file and also as a .html file.
Dave G Says:
September 15th, 2007 at 7:49 am

Nick D - Yes, I am interested and I also have a little web space if you need it.

My only concern is that numbers like 2050 MPG are deceptive. Most people just wont believe it. Others will find out that you’re just trading electricity for gas, and be disappointed. Either way, it doesn’t help. Let’s just say the car gets 50 MPG in gas mode.

I would rather see the following output:
- average cents per mile for trip
- cents per mile in gas mode
- cents per mile in electric mode
- cents per gallon equivelent in electric mode.
- average cents per gallon equivelent for the trip

Hope this helps, Dave.
carlivar Says:
September 17th, 2007 at 2:32 pm

I would absolutely buy a VUE with a 10-mile range. The body style is more convenient for my growing family and most of my driving is less than 10 miles. I have a very low commute but I’m too lazy to ride a bicycle.

GM Saturn VUE Likely First Plug-in Vehicle by Major Automaker: 2009…ish

13 Responses to “GM Saturn VUE Likely First Plug-in Vehicle by Major Automaker: 2009…ish”

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