GM Looks to Hybrid Technology to Reinvigorate Big SUV Sales Patience will be required, but soon enough Chevy will deliver a full-size SUV capable of pint-size SUV fuel economy; and isn't that a
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| Chevy's Tahoe Hybrid, rolling onto GM's stage at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
contradiction in terms? Perhaps so, but definitely a most welcome contradiction thanks to the bowtie brand's claim of a 25 percent boost in the composite fuel efficiency of a V8-powered Tahoe when GM's two-mode full hybrid technology and its advanced Active Fuel Management technology are both applied.
GM's Active Fuel Management (AFM) technology, known previously as Displacement on Demand (DoD), deactivates four of the engine's eight cylinders when the need for output is low, resulting in less fuel burned, money saved and emissions reduced. There's nothing particularly new or groundbreaking about this technology, which, in various forms, is currently in use by GM, Chrysler and Honda. Marrying AFM with a two-mode, full hybrid system is, however, the latest in fuel conservation science. Honda's new Accord Hybrid incorporates a mild-hybrid system with its cylinder-deactivated V6, mind you, so working the
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| The two-mode full hybrid system in question is currently being developed by GM, along with partners BMW and DaimlerChrysler. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
two technologies in tandem isn't an entirely new concept. And while GM's two-mode full hybrid system has been in-use in transit buses, it has not been applied to their car and light truck divisions as of yet.
The two-mode full hybrid system in question is currently being developed by GM, along with partners BMW and DaimlerChrysler, with the intent on making it capable of running on gasoline or diesel, for use in private vehicles in both North America and fuel-starved Europe. Reduced fuel consumption equals fewer hydrocarbons and less exhaust emissions, which will also help auto manufacturers meet tightening emissions regulations for diesel-powered vehicles.
The two-mode hybrid system under development is intended to optimize both highway and city fuel efficiency, with the
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| GM's two-mode hybrid system is intended to optimize both highway and city fuel efficiency. (Photo: General Motors) |
first mode engineered to address slow moving traffic patterns. It enables the vehicle to operate in any one of three ways: electric power only, engine power only or any combination of the two power sources. Maximum benefit is naturally derived from electric power propulsion operating alone, allowing fossil-fuel-free movement in stop and go bumper-to-bumper traffic, until the engine cuts-in to recharge the 300-volt battery pack or hustle the Tahoe away with greater urgency.
It should be noted that even the first Toyota Prius featured a full hybrid powertrain,
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| While Chevy sells a hybrid Silverado and GMC a Sierra with a hybrid drivetrain, the all-new two-mode hybrid in the Tahoe is a much more sophisticated system. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
a setup that continues forward with every new Toyota and Lexus hybrid the automaker builds. Ford also has engineered its Escape Hybrid with a full-hybrid system, while Hondas have always been less expensive engine-assisted mild hybrids, that is, until the most recent 2006 Civic Hybrid was introduced this fall. Honda's change from mild- to full-hybrid systems is a significant move, now supported by GM's move from its Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra hybrids, currently available, which are engine-assisted mild hybrids, to this new, more sophisticated powertrain introduced in the upcoming Chevy Tahoe Hybrid on Friday, January 8, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
