The gas-turbine/electric had 60-100 MPG range.
The Diesel/electric had a stated 80 MPG.

Of course, if you used them in shorter commutes and could charge them instead of using gas (or diesel fuel), you could get much higher mileage than that.
If GM had only just kept up their R&D on these fronts, they would have a monster product of some sort IN THE MARKET by now (instead of playing politics and catch-up). I'm still very hopeful for the Volt and Saturn to hit the market in time to be smashing sucesses. And, GM needs them to.

 

Two days ago, a Live Chat person on the Saturn web site says the Hybrid Vue for 2008 will be out in the Spring of 2008. Local Dealer says the same thing. Apparantly something about the factory not having all the parts yet to build the Hybrid Vue.

If someone knows for sure please answer this:

Given the above quote from the press release, will the Hyrbid Saturn Vue coming out this Spring have the two mode hybrid system or still the "light hybrid system" that is to say, not the two mode hybrid system.

If a single mode light hybrid system, then why the delay? They already were building Light hybrid vues in 07 so I'd think all the parts were already available.

If a two mode hybrid system, then is Saturn just calling the Hybrid Vues made available this year late enough to be called 2009 models?

I tried Saturn Chat this afternoon but its not working.

 

You guys missed the salient part of that press release. It's the part that says "AS SOON AS (2010)." That's a marketing executive's way of saying "maybe." And we all know what "maybe" means in the car business.

I also have to take exception to the claim that "the Vue plug-in hybrid will be the most fuel-efficient vehicle offered by a major automaker." What, like Honda and Toyota will go out of business in two years?

News flash -- Honda is releasing a hydrogen-powered car later this year (not maybe in 2010). Toyota plans improvements to the Prius. Both of those major automakers ALREADY offer the most fuel-efficient vehicles.

We'd all love to see the Big 3 catch up to the Japanese ..... but don't bet money on it.

.

 

Actually in this case, it's a way of saying that at this point it is uncertain if the vehicle will launch in late 2010 or early 2011, but it will launch.

I would take exception to that, too, if the entire quote didn't read.....

Depending on a consumer’s drive cycle, the Vue plug-in hybrid will be the most fuel-efficient vehicle offered by a major automaker.

The point being, someone using it solely for short trips could go weeks without ever using a drop of gas. Of course, someone with a 40 mile round trip commute, like myself, would use gas on every trip and would get mileage just a bit better than the non-plug-in 2-Mode. That's why the part of the quote you left out is key to the understanding of the statement.

Honda is leasing their hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in SoCal. GM is also already providing free of charge an equal number of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in SoCal, New York, and DC.

I'll go one better. I'm betting my career on it.

No doubt Toyota is waaay out there in terms of hybrid cars on the market and is by far the most visible hybrid proponent on the planet. But with the co-development agreements with BMW, Chrysler, and Daimler, GM is no slouch. Add to that the fact that GM is coming at the technology from the large end of the market (buses ---> trucks ---> crossovers ---> cars) and I'd say that things will get pretty hot over the next couple years. Consumers will benefit from the competition and the additional product offerings. Just yesterday, GM-Allison announced the sale of an additional 1,700 hybrid buses to Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Peace,

Martin

 

Not to detract but isn't the whole GM and company approach the same as IBM's focus on the high end and business end of the computer market. Meanwhile Microsoft jumped to success on personal computers in the home.

Toyota is the biggest player and even if GM is working hard on their own programs they don't seem to be repeating any gains from their direction in efficiency.

 

No, I wouldn't characterize it as such. Toyota and Honda both focus at the company level on small and mid-size cars. Toyota, through Lexus, also has a focus on luxury vehicles. Their initial hybrid offerings are in small and mid-size cars, as well as some luxury Lexus products. In other words, play to your strength and protect the sweet spot of your market. OVer time, Toyota in particular has plans to expand product offerings upward to larger vehicles.

GM has had a primary focus on trucks and SUVs. The first hybrid offerings are in SUVs, with some venturing into mid-size cars. Expect that future hybrid offerings will travel down the portfolio to eventually include small cars. Again, it's a strategy of playing to strength and protecting the sweet spot of the market, then expanding across the portfolio.

Depends on what you mean by that. If you mean that GM is not learning from GM's previous gains in efficiency, I would disagree. The 2-Mode system is developed almost totally from learnings through the hybrid bus development programs. Some of the learnings in controls have roots in the EV-1 program.

If you mean that GM is not learning from what Toyota has done, there may be some merit to that position. But keep in mind that the GM 2-Mode and the Toyota HSD are very different in design and approach.

Peace,

Martin

 

HSD and "2-mode" ARE different. One is selling. The other isn't.

Hurry up GM. Gas ain't getting cheaper and there still isn't a viable contender to challange HSD...in an affordable package.

Who again will be buying a huge SUV at $50,000 and 20 MPG...or a $25,000 hybrid sedan at 2 MPG better than it's gas-only cousin? And both do nothing for ALL pollutants? In fact using the larger V-8 in the Hybrid Tahoe, it is WORSE than it's gas-only cousin. How can GM be serious here?

To me, bring on the sales #s. That's what GM needs right now. NOt press releases and small-scale sales of huge hybrid SUVs in a price range few will buy at.

sorry, but GM still ticks me off and still doesn't get it. I'll eat my words and apologize just as soon as GM does.

 

*cough* *cough* Ahem *cough* IMA *cough*

GM's offerings are behind not only Toyota at this point. And I like the competitor's offering better: smoother drivetrain/ride and close to equally impressive mileage on the highway.