Comments on: GM Announces its Next Generation Hybrid System: Includes Lithium-ion Battery

By: noel park

noel park — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:08:59 +0000

50 Wise Golden:
Well to be fair about it, the new Automobile magazine points out that the cost of the hybrid option on the new Malibu is not much more that the tax credit, "so it’s almost like getting it for free."

By: John D

John D — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:40:19 +0000

Wise Golden, the hybrid aura is a great little ride as is! Comfortable quiet (especially at traffic lights w/ the engine off). I’ve seen similar fuel economy during hybrid friendly driving (consistantly). You can pretty much count on 30+ mpg w/ much effort (city or highway). I think with this BAS+ program we will see some very appealing fuel economy numbers at a great cost! I’m excited about everything that GM is pumping out in regards to hybrids.

By: Wise Golden

Wise Golden — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:54:03 +0000

GTX – My Saturn Aura Hybrid has achieved 38.1 MPG over the last 14,500 miles.

By: noel park

noel park — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:35:46 +0000

36 bruce g:
Well maybe, but the hybrid Camrys are selling like cold cakes here, and Honda gave up on the hybrid Accord.

By: Wise Golden

Wise Golden — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:18:58 +0000

This is a major announcement. Currently, GM is the only company that offers a hybrid system that cost less than $2000 as an option, and that is the system that they are talking about here. I own this system and I find that it offers much improved mileage – better than the GM claims, so I’m excited to see that it is being improved to be an even better system. The key here is that the system is not expensive – about the same as a navigation option, and that means that it is affordable, and that will mean that it can be widely applied to lower priced vehicles and even high mileage vehicles. As you know, it’s difficult to recoup the cost of a full hybrid system on a fuel efficient vehicle because, well, they don’t use very much gas to allow for savings. If they can keep the cost of this system similar to the system that is on the Aura (my car,) and Malibu, they will have a system that will produce a payback in about 10K miles, and on a very fuel efficient car like the small Chevy’s and Saturn Astra, they could get the payback in maybe 20K miles. That’s a real home run!

By: Jean-Charles Jacquemin

Jean-Charles Jacquemin — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:34:39 +0000

#18 Nasaman
#22 Scott and other bloggers.

In my previous post #26 in the post "Production Chevy Volt in late 2009 ?", I was referring to the Belgian Imperia Roadster.
See : http://www.imperia-auto.be/en/
The conceptors of the Roadster write :
"The principle of PowerHybrid propulsion according to Imperia During a journey, the driver can decide at any time, via a selector, the type of propulsion required: electric or hybrid. Using another control, the driver decides whether he/she intends to run the batteries down completely (in order to recharge them on the mains, having reached the destination), or wants to keep a reserve to be used when entering urban traffic. These functions enable you to optimise your use of the Imperia GP by adapting to circumstances."Clearly, the possibility to drive in E-mode at anytime exists provided the charge left in the battery is sufficient.

By: Dr. Ed

Dr. Ed — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:04:18 +0000

Lyle, Please ask- When is the Tahoe going to get the advantages of Li. Thanks.

By: mmcc

mmcc — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:05:54 +0000

http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/05/news/companies/bigoil_hydrogen/index.htm?section=money_latest

Here is another news release where a GM exec is stating late 2009 roll-out and "is expected to cost about the same as a typical Chevy compact sedan."
Great, now I can afford 2 volts and get them in 18 months!

By: Jeff J

Jeff J — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 06:49:23 +0000

#BillR I have also owned GM product most of my life, and after 17 years of driving them I never had any major problems. Now three years ago I sold my old faithful (85 S-15 gmc 2.8l) for a ford sport tract but at the time GM had nothing to offer in a mid size 4 door truck . Had I known at gas was going to raise the day after I bought this truck I would have gone a different route, I am so ready to off load this gas guzzling monster but that is the only down side to this truck and if gas was still $1.25 I would drive it until the doors fall off.

By: BillR

BillR — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 04:56:03 +0000

GXT,

GM does’t always make the perfect decision, but they certainly aren’t stupid. I don’t know if GM thinks you are stupid, but from the tone of comments you certainly leave me with some suspicions.

The Vue 25/32 mpg provides better highway mileage than the Escape at 34/30 mpg. If a person were doing mostly highway driving, this would favor the Vue, versus someone doing city driving would favor the Escape.

Note that the 2008 Vue mileage is based upon the current BAS hybrid system. With the new Li-ion BAS system just announced, these numbers would be higher.

Notice to GM: I have owned numerous vehicles in my lifetime including my first car, a 1969 Toronado, several imports, and other US and GM products. The GM vehicles, over the long haul, have been by far the most reliable and dependable vehicles I have owned. Keep up the good work, and I look forward to the Chevy Volt. I expect it to be a great car, and I’m glad that those who are lower on the intellect scale and who aren’t deserving won’t buy it.