GM's efforts in fuel efficiency and pollution reduction

2007 Chevrolet Impala (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)

The General is investing heavily on E85 Ethanol technology. E85 is a mix of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, and 15 GM models are now equipped to run on either E85, regular unleaded gasoline or a combination of both. According to District Sales Manager Frédéric Racine, ethanol burns cleaner, is renewable (it's made with corn), and can greatly reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. E85-enabled vehicles will be identified by "FlexFuel" badging as well as a yellow-colored gas cap.

Although Ethanol use is slowly growing in the United States, it doesn't seem to be the case here. The number of gas stations that pump E85 in Canada is--and this is not a joke--one. That's right, Ottawa is the only city in Canada where consumers can fill up their cars with Ethanol. GM is pushing hard for the government to allow widespread use of Ethanol, but I don't think that will happen anytime soon. Here's my suggestion to GM: hand-pick some of your bigger dealerships in Canada's major cities and install E85 fuel pumps there for Ethanol-enabled cars and trucks.

2007 Saturn VUE Green Line (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)

GM has 3 different types of hybrid powertrains. The first, a "Light Hybrid" application that can be found in Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, uses an electric motor that assists the regular V8 engine in electrical applications, such as replacing the starter and alternator. The normal "Hybrid" powertrain is the one found in the new VUE Green Line. It consists of a battery that assists the engine in powering the SUV, and the system turns off the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder when the vehicle is at full stop or coasting.

The third type is what GM calls the "Two-Mode Hybrid" setup, which allows the vehicle to run at low speeds on electric power alone, while the engine also gets Active Fuel Management to reduce fuel consumption even more. The Two-Mode Hybrid also shuts off the engine at full stop

2007 Saturn VUE Green Line (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)

and while coasting. The 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon SUVs will be the first passenger vehicles to get this powertrain.

One relevant application for the Two-Mode Hybrid system is currently being tested in GM-built city buses, which is a good idea since it annually saves several thousand liters of fuel per bus, and reduces emissions all the while. GM's hybrid buses will turn up in the coming weeks on the streets of Vancouver and Toronto.

GM wants to build the world's largest fuel-cell vehicle fleet. In the fall of 2007, over 100 Chevrolet Equinox SUVs will be converted to run with fuel cells and will be distributed to GM customers for real-world testing.

2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Two-Mode Hybrid (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com)

What's to expect from GM in the coming years? As mentioned earlier, the Two-Mode Hybrid versions of the Tahoe and Yukon are on their way, followed by an Escalade and the Silverado/Sierra pickups. Also, hybrid versions of the Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Aura are planned. General Motors will eventually have 12 hybrid models on the market, although no deadline has been set.