TOKYO, JAPAN: Consumers have long been able to pick the kind of engine they want in a new car, but with the Triax concept car GM will let them pick the kind of propulsion system they want. Introduced at a press conference before the opening of the Tokyo Motor Show, the Chevrolet Triax has a design that allows one of three propulsion options: 4-wheel-drive electric, 4-wheel-drive hybrid electric, or 2-wheel-drive internal combustion.
The executive director of GM's Advanced Technology Vehicles unit, Robert C. Purcell, said GM engineers examined the toughest environmental regulations around the world and the regulatory trends emerging. Their consensus was that an assortment of options was required to meet the various standards.
"The Triax concept opens opportunities for customers regardless of where they live," said Purcell. "No vehicle in the market today allows customers to select propulsion systems. Triax shows that we can offer the customer this freedom."
As well as being a unique offering, said GM chairman and chief executive officer John F. Smith, Triax is also ''a showcase for GM's leadership in leveraging expertise by developing strategic global relationships." In this case, that would be with Suzuki for the hybrid-electric and gasoline versions of Triax.
Smith also made it plain that Triax was more than a PR gesture on GM's part. ''We must make a business of developing and producing cleaner vehicles," he said. ''For a business to survive it must be able to make vehicles that are affordable to the customer, yet provide a return to the business."