Are smaller, unibody hybrid trucks a good idea?
Are hybrid trucks like the A-BAT a step in the right direction?Small trucks are not a hot seller in the pickup segment, yet in the last few months both Toyota and GM have debuted small, unibody-framed hybrid trucks. Toyota's A-BAT hybrid concept kicked things off just before the Detroit Auto Show, only to be followed by GM's Denali XT hybrid just before the Chicago Show.
Is the small, almost-crossover truck segment the right kind of product for the buyers of hybrid vehicles?
Labels: a-bat hybrid truck, gmc denali xt hybrid truck, Hybrid Vehicles
posted by Dahcredyns at
7:24 AM
6 Comments:
I think its a viable untapped segment, but its more vaporware. They need to focus their resources on getting hybrid technology better mainstream availability on actual models. There are way too many concepts and not enough deliverable products. If these companies are losing money, why are they spending it this way. DELIVER MORE VEHICLES TO THE ACTUAL SHOWROOMS!
Another thing to consider is that the Escape Hybrid hasn't exactly sold like hotcakes, so I'm not sure that an open bed version would be much different, not to mention the towing aspect of the pick-up market.
"DELIVER MORE VEHICLES TO THE ACTUAL SHOWROOMS!"
I'll second that.
I think other than delivering more vehicles to the showroom (which would actually offer some confidence to the public that things are actually changing), we desperately need smaller, lighter cars.
Every single time I visit another country, I am truly shocked and disgusted by how large the vehicles we drive in the US really are. Even "ful size" sedans like a Malibu or Accord are freaking HUGE.
I mean ridiculously big. What we drive in the US is 100% reflection of how selfish, egocentric, and arrogant people are here. Pure and simple.
And to think, we go around telling other people in other countries how to live, what to do, and what they are allowed to do...ya think that's why they don't like us???
Agreed on the size of our cars as an indicator of our own myopic viewpoint. I tried to use the celebration of the underdog Giants in the Super Bowl as a similar example in my blog:
http://noblinders.wordpress.com/2008/02/05/does-the-world-see-us-as-the-new-england-patriots/
I want an actual small work truck that I can buy. We have been seeing passenger cars like the Prius becoming very popular. I have five toyota tacoma's in my fleet right now and I want something that get's better fuel economy. I have read several news announcements and unveilings of prototypes, but nothing out there for sale that is priced practically for a small fleet. It should be simple to make something like the Tacoma work just as well as a Prius and it would sell just as well. What is the hold-up?
Try one Escape hybrid in the mean-time and see if it fits the bill performance-wise. With similar aerodynamics and an open-bed, a Tacoma style hybrid would not even do as well as the Escape hybrid.
Hybrid-drive probably only makes the difference between 40 and 47 MPG. Aerodynamics (especially ground clearance), lightweight components, and driving style make the bulk of difference.
I think the hauling and toughness aspects of a small pickup are a tough bill for Prius-like hybrid technology that is more suitable for city driving.
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