...or is it just one of GM's alternator-modification?
Just wondering.

It's one of the lame ones, but my understanding is it does allow the ICE to turn off at stops and may provide some acceleration assist for a small MPG gain.

From my description of the 2008 Malibu:

Hybrid Review

The 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon are the first 2-mode "real" production hybrids available to purchase from GM. The Silverado, Sierra and Escalade are following them this fall. Other than the Volt, I haven't heard of what other GM sedans will make the 2-mode jump. (anyone??)

The press labeling the Aura, Vue, Malibu, etc as not being "real" hybrids has hurt their sales. Which is a real shame since even with the inept belt-alt-starter the 2009 EPA numbers for the Malibu Hybrid show a 3 MPG improvement for the combined mileage over a standard Malibu (w/6-speed) and within 15% of the combined mileage of the similar sized TCH and NAH.

The Vue is supposed to make the jump to full hybrid status, and then go on to plug-in hybrid as well.

The Saturn Vue has been the testbed for GM on hybrids.

Hybrid Review

Not really. They just don't make very many of them, for a variety of reasons. For the first part of 2008, hybrid battery supply was diverted to existing 2007 models for replacement due to a recall. Otherwise, it's a very limited-production model. You won't find GM's BAS hybrids languishing at the dealer--they just don't get very many to sell.

Well think there produced a limited numbers for this specific model. I think its kinda trial model for all consumer.
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acura legend accessories

GM hybrid..........that's a strange concept. They are just a bit late into the hybrid arena. Now that they are facing almost certain bankruptcy/reorganization, they needed to have the Malibu hybrid several years back. I saw the base price is almost exactly the same as the TCH at approx. $26,000. The full-hybrid mode in the TCH is great and i have been averaging between 38-43mpg year-round. I am pleased that i did go with the only real leader in hybrid technology and reliablity......Toyota. I owned only one GM product......a Chevy, hands down the worst truck/car i have ever owned. They still have light years to go!

I just traded in a 1999 Silverado (that I put over 300,000km on it) for a Chevy Tahoe Hybrid. I had no issues at all with the Silverado in the nearly 10 years I owned it. It was a great truck. I am now really enjoying the Tahoe Hybrid. I am all for competition and free trade but I don't like it when American vehicles get slammed. I am a Canadian and I will always buy North American over Japanese since I would rather see my neighbour with a job than driver a foreign car. But I respect your right to slam your own country and its domestic vehicles in favour of the Japanese.

You seem to be under the mistaken impression that American vehicles are actually made in the US. The vast majority of the parts are actually made elsewhere. And, about half the assembly plants are elsewhere. They have been moving jobs overseas for more than 20 years.

It's really sad. We tax domestic manufacturing at about 40% of gross. We have "safety" and "environmental" regulations that mostly make sense. China and Korea do not tax manufacturing for export, and they have essentially no safety or environmental regulation. This needs to change.

We could level the tax part of the playing field by two little changes in our income tax code:
1. Money received from foreign nationals (not US taxpayers) should be deductible business expenses (i.e., not taxable as income). This would eliminate the tax on exports.
2. Money paid to foreign nationals (not US taxpayers) should NOT be deductible as business expense. This would impose the same tax rate on foreign manufacturing and services as we impose on domestic manufacturing and services for our domestic market.

More will be needed to level the safety and environmental parts of the playing field. I don't know a good way to do that.