Here come the GM Hybrids.....
#1
10-26-2007, 10:39 AM
Here come the GM Hybrids.....
From Time Magazine
Peace,
Martin
GM is a standard bearer
After dismissing them for years as a niche unworthy of attention, GM will release an average of one new hybrid
model every three months for the next two years, beginning with the industry's first full-size hybrid SUVs late this
year.
"GM has really stepped up to be the standard bearer for the industry," says Philip Gott, director of automotive
consulting for Global Insight. "Toyota stole the limelight the first time with nice technology and a brilliant
marketing strategy, but I think GM will take the ball back."
For all its recent struggles in the marketplace, GM has always been a leader in pure research and development,
spending $6.6 billion in the field in 2006. "They've dwarfed the rest of the industry in what they can put into it,"
says Dan Sperling, director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California at Davis.
"There is a myth out there that GM is a technological laggard, but that's not true," says John DeCicco, senior fellow
for automotive strategies at the advocacy group Environmental Defense. —Source: Time, October 11, 2007model every three months for the next two years, beginning with the industry's first full-size hybrid SUVs late this
year.
"GM has really stepped up to be the standard bearer for the industry," says Philip Gott, director of automotive
consulting for Global Insight. "Toyota stole the limelight the first time with nice technology and a brilliant
marketing strategy, but I think GM will take the ball back."
For all its recent struggles in the marketplace, GM has always been a leader in pure research and development,
spending $6.6 billion in the field in 2006. "They've dwarfed the rest of the industry in what they can put into it,"
says Dan Sperling, director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California at Davis.
"There is a myth out there that GM is a technological laggard, but that's not true," says John DeCicco, senior fellow
Peace,
Martin
#2
10-26-2007, 11:34 AM
Re: Here come the GM Hybrids.....
Yeah sure...GM's large SUV hybrid will get 17.5mpg instead of the regular 17mpg. When will these dummies wake up?
$6.6bn on R&D? where do they spend it? on golf trips to scotland?
$6.6bn on R&D? where do they spend it? on golf trips to scotland?
#3
10-26-2007, 12:57 PM
Re: Here come the GM Hybrids.....
"Mild" hybrids like the Malibu, or rediculously overpriced for the market hybrid SUVs. I gave up hope for GM (and domestics in general) years ago. If we see the Volt (not when) I'll be interested to see if the quality is as sub-par as the GM's I've (recently) owned.
#4
10-26-2007, 07:25 PM
Re: Here come the GM Hybrids.....
If you can convince people that there's no point in a hybrid unless you downsize to a Prius or a Civic, we'll be driving large gas only cars until the oil runs out.
#5
10-26-2007, 08:27 PM
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Re: Here come the GM Hybrids.....
The EPA numbers are published already and like the others they;re in accordance with the new 2008 guidelines.
Here's a shocker for you. The first two GM 2-Modes save more fuel than either the TCH or HCH or FEH. Only the HH 'outsaves' the new GMs. The reasoning is based on the 'theory of large numbers' or in this case the effect on small numbers.
Our biggest national goal right now should be to convert every large SUV to a 2-Mode or similar technology as quickly as possible. BLAM !!! we'd save 35% of the total fuel used in these millions of vehicles every day forever. That's a HUGE number because these vehicles use such a HUGE amount of fuel every day.
#6
10-26-2007, 08:35 PM
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Re: Here come the GM Hybrids.....
Oh, the bitterness. The Tahoe hybrid is rated at a combined 21.5 mpg compared to the gas version 17. Is that a huge savings? No but given that people are going to buy SUVs, it's better than nothing. The old Saturn Vue, which is a really low tech hybrid, went from about 24 to 29 or 30 if I remember.
If you can convince people that there's no point in a hybrid unless you downsize to a Prius or a Civic, we'll be driving large gas only cars until the oil runs out.
If you can convince people that there's no point in a hybrid unless you downsize to a Prius or a Civic, we'll be driving large gas only cars until the oil runs out.
We need to do the math... It is a huge savings. It's far more significant than going from an ICE Civic to an HCH.
The math..the math..( 2008 EPA Combined ratings )
ICE Tahoe @ 16 mpg.. uses 62.5 gal / 1000 mi driven
T2M @ 21.5 mpg........ uses 46.5 gal / 1000 mi driven = 16 gal saved
ICE Civic @ 29 mpg.... uses 34.5 gal / 1000 mi driven
HCH @ 42 mpg........... uses 23.8 gal / 1000 mi driven = 10.7 gal saved
The link to the EPA site:http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/sbs.htm
Last edited by kdhspyder; 10-26-2007 at 08:38 PM.
#7
10-26-2007, 10:34 PM
Re: Here come the GM Hybrids.....
Au contraire.
We need to do the math... It is a huge savings. It's far more significant than going from an ICE Civic to an HCH.
The math..the math..( 2008 EPA Combined ratings )
ICE Tahoe @ 16 mpg.. uses 62.5 gal / 1000 mi driven
T2M @ 21.5 mpg........ uses 46.5 gal / 1000 mi driven = 16 gal saved
ICE Civic @ 29 mpg.... uses 34.5 gal / 1000 mi driven
HCH @ 42 mpg........... uses 23.8 gal / 1000 mi driven = 10.7 gal saved
The link to the EPA site:http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/sbs.htm
We need to do the math... It is a huge savings. It's far more significant than going from an ICE Civic to an HCH.
The math..the math..( 2008 EPA Combined ratings )
ICE Tahoe @ 16 mpg.. uses 62.5 gal / 1000 mi driven
T2M @ 21.5 mpg........ uses 46.5 gal / 1000 mi driven = 16 gal saved
ICE Civic @ 29 mpg.... uses 34.5 gal / 1000 mi driven
HCH @ 42 mpg........... uses 23.8 gal / 1000 mi driven = 10.7 gal saved
The link to the EPA site:http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/sbs.htm
#8
10-26-2007, 10:41 PM
Re: Here come the GM Hybrids.....
Bob Wilson
#9
10-26-2007, 11:40 PM
Re: Here come the GM Hybrids.....
And you could go faster. So I think you have me beat on utility.
#10
10-27-2007, 06:28 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Two miles N of the technology 'center-of-the-world' in 1903, on the Outer Banks of NC
Posts: 205
Re: Here come the GM Hybrids.....
One view, call it the 'greenie perspective', is that all large vehicles are 'evil' and we all should be 'good' by driving the smallest most efficient vehicle available. Large vehicles should be banned. The problem is that legislating morality has been proven to be hard to impossible to do. The Volsted Act is an example.
The other more 'worldly' view is that people have the right to drive what they want and spend their money as they wish. But if they choose to do so then we still have to address the problem of our shrinking oil supplies; i.e. extending them for as long as possible. This is the benefit of converting all the SUVs to some hybrid system like the 2-Mode.
This system does far more to extend our oil supplies than converting a Civic driver to be a HCH driver. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' here.
If people want to spend $4 per gal on gas that's their right, it's their money. If gas goes to $6 or $8 a gal then those who don't absolutely need an SUV probably will stop driving them as any rational person would...assuming of course that cost of fuel is of any concern at all.
