Can GM turn SUV drivers green?
The face of the devil according to environmentalists?Following the Detroit Auto Show last January, my hosts, GM, gave me a ride to the airport in a Cadillac Escalade. As an SUV-hater, this simple trip to the airport was a profound moment. I realized that I had probably never been more comfortable in a vehicle as I was in that Escalade.
I had a similar moment, again provided by GM, when I was asked to test drive the Chevy Tahoe hybrid back in August, after which I penned my thoughts in the post, The Devil Drives a Tahoe hybrid.
Now I didn't come up with such a title because I think such full-sized SUVs are evil, which I kind of do, rather I compared the Tahoe hybrid to the devil because the Tahoe hybrid had caused me temptation. Like the Escalade, the Tahoe hybrid was a joy to drive, unlike the Escalade, however, the Tahoe was a hybrid SUV. Read more......
Labels: hybrid suvs, Hybrid Vehicles, tahoe hybrid, yukon hybrid
posted by Dahcredyns at
7:59 AM
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Following the Detroit Auto Show last January, my hosts, GM, gave me a ride to the airport in a Cadillac Escalade. As an SUV-hater, this simple trip to the airport was a profound moment. I realized that I had probably never been more comfortable in a vehicle as I was in that Escalade.
I had a similar moment, again provided by GM, when I was asked to test drive the Chevy Tahoe hybrid back in August, after which I penned my thoughts in the post, The Devil Drives a Tahoe hybrid.
Now I didn't come up with such a title because I think such full-sized SUVs are evil, which I kind of do, rather I compared the Tahoe hybrid to the devil because the Tahoe hybrid had caused me temptation. Like the Escalade, the Tahoe hybrid was a joy to drive, unlike the Escalade, however, the Tahoe was a hybrid SUV.
If I didn't believe so greatly in fighting foreign oil dependency and global warming, I'd want one. I wanted one.
Still, I don't need such an SUV, but others might, and I was reminded of this possibility as I read an article about GM's Yukon hybrid this morning on AutoWeek.
"All that said, this [the Yukon hybrid] remains a sweet piece of engineering that provides most of what we love about the latest generation of GM's big utilities. There's still seating for eight passengers, huge cargo-hauling capability and a 6000-pound towing capacity (diminished by about 2000 pounds versus a traditional Yukon). There's still the same on-road comfort and off-road prowess, with all the top-shelf electronics that help us find our way and entertain our passengers."
Now, I still feel it's a bit irresponsible for people whom don't need such functionality to drive such vehicles, even if they are hybrid vehicles. Nonetheless, if you do need such functionality, GM's SUV hybrids provide an amazing green solution.
Don't believe me? How can such a land yacht provide anything green?
Even after my Tahoe hybrid test drive, I had a hard time getting behind GM's hybrid SUVs. In particular, I just couldn't get over the lack of a GM hybrid car to challenge the Toyota Prius, or at least the Camry hybrid. Even though an important segment for GM, why just huge hybrids? I'm still disappointed, but that story is dead - at least until 2010 or so.
Back at the LA Auto Show I expressed this concern to GM's Bob Lutz, whom told me quite simply that the dual mode hybrid powertrain was not designed for small vehicles. At this point in time, the Chevy Volt and its E Flex Drive are GM's eventual challenge to the Prius and to the Camry hybrid, Period. This reality, a reality I had begun to suspect for some time, had now been confirmed by GM's car czar, Bob Lutz.
A couple of days later, as protesters across the street from the LA Auto Show demanded 100 mpg plug-in hybrid vehicles while the Chevy Tahoe hybrid won the Green Car of the Year Award, an automotive revolution seemed miles away from reality.
And, it wasn't just GM and its land-yacht hybrid SUVs, but even hybrid king Toyota, which used the LA Auto Show not to debut a new hybrid, but rather to showcase its largest SUV, the Sequoia.
All of these disappointing thoughts filled my mind as I made my last walk around the supposedly green LA show, hoping to find a bit of inspiration before media days concluded. Suddenly, I found myself by BMW's hydrogen car. Since I was in the area, I thought I would stroll by BMW's Mini Coopers.
As I checked out these beautiful little cars, I noticed something shocking, something almost unbelievable. In city driving, many of these tiny, little Mini's were no more fuel efficient than either the Tahoe or Yukon hybrids. Now that is something that on which I can hang my hybrid hat.
I'm still not an SUV convert, however, for people whom truly need full-sized SUV functionality, both the Chevy Tahoe hybrid and the GMC Yukon hybrid provide a real green solution. Yes, there is a huge premium to be paid for this hybrid technology, but when you consider the increase in fuel efficiency this vehicle offers, the technology will eventually pay for itself.
Now that's a guilt-free SUV option. If you have to have a full sized SUV, make a green, hybrid SUV. Starting in January you won't have any excuses.
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