Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade hybrids to be phased out?
Only for PR?Large SUVs, such as the Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade, are facing their last days. Because of costs, Bob Lutz stated this weekend that these vehicles will not be replaced in 2011, as originally planned, including the hybrid versions.
Thus, all current GM dual mode hybrid vehicles are already being phased out. Soon, however, GM will launch a dual mode version of the Saturn Vue hybrid, which is a much smaller SUV. And, there are also plans for a GM dual mode pickup truck, but skeptics are already dismissing the vehicle.
“It is a publicity stunt,” states Ford truck marketing manager. “It is no different than what you are seeing with their large SUVs. They are not selling any Tahoe and Yukon hybrids. It’s about something to advertise."
Labels: escalade hybrid, Hybrid Vehicles, saturn vue hybrid, tahoe hybrid, yukon hybrid
posted by Dahcredyns at
8:36 AM
12 Comments:
What are you supposed to pull a large trailer with?
Good think I already have a Yuckon XL....
I don't want to pull my camper with a four door truck. this is interesting news.
Who didn't see this coming... GM in all their greed persisted on banking on their big ass SUVs as prime money makers and saw the combination of mating hybrid to SUVs as the ticket.
Unfortunatly, they learned to their expense that hybrid solutions is about maximizing fuel economy and selecting a vehicle that consumes fuel like a tank is not right platform to mount hybrid technology.
Even so, the few hybrid cars that GM has purued their hybrid solution such as the Malibu is also a very poor attempt as well due to the so called light hybrid systems.
Why bother putting in hybrid system that only leverages 5 or 10% savings in fuel economy when the technology current exist for yield 35% savings already? This behavior proves that GM will not likely survive past this decade.
jabroni- How heavy is your trailer? Could a Vue pull your trailer?
As usual, GM is a failure with another pathetic, half-hearted attempt to woo the vehicle purchasing public that they believe is still too ignorant to see through their charades. What I'm surprised at is the amount of money invested in the dual-mode hybrid system by Gm and their competitors. SO much for it being superior to HSD, or Honda's IMA. Those systems will at least have a lifespan beyond 1 model cycle.
well, obviously, GM and the rest of the Big 3 were overly reliant upon large SUVs. had interest in large SUVs remained strong, then hybrid versions of these vehicles might have made sense.
still, i think the dual mode hybrid could still make sense in a pickup. likewise, i'm very interested in the Saturn Vue hybrid, which i've always felt would be GM's best hybrid by far when it goes on sale later this year or early next year.
nonetheless, the big 3's commitment to large SUVs demonstrates just how much in denial they've been.
pretending the prius was irrelevant has been a monumental mistake by the big 3.
Increasing the mpg of trucks actually is what all the automakers should be working for. A 10 mpg increase in a truck's city ratings would be huge and there are studies that back this up although I cannot remember the author/citation.
My Yuckon basically sits in my driveway as I only put a couple thousand miles a year on it but it sure is great when I haul 8 people or pull my camper.
The camper weighs 8000 pounds and probably is too much for the truck but I did not want to get a 3/4 ton vehicle.
This news is a little disappointing but there is hope yet. Ever heard of the Poulson Hybrid?erw
i've heard of the poulson hybrid. many have claimed, if it can work at all, it will only be effective on very short commutes - at least that was the last i heard.
CNG it is then
not gonna get my 6'8"ness into
a saturn vue and ford isn't helping out with an exped hybrdi
Indigo Incarnates
Well... I'm not going to be so harsh as to say that 2-mode was a publicity stunt. That technology was way too expensive to develop just for the sake of appearing green. Now, I think that BAS was a publicity stunt, since it greenwashes their mid-size sedans and only boost fuel economy by 1 MPG.
What I think GM didn't anticipate was that fuel prices would rise so high that even doubling the efficency of big trucks/SUVs still wouldn't make them palatible to the potential customer. When gasoline is in the $3-$4/gallon range (it's not now, but just wait a few weeks after the election), the would-be truck buyer probably just gets a small SUV/crossover and then just rents something big when the need arises.
Indigo-
I'm quite confident that the dual mode hybrid technology wasn't a pure PR stunt. At the time GM began developing the technology, SUV sales were still pretty healthy. So, I think GM thought there was a market. Still, I don't think they ever had plans to make all SUVs dual mode SUVs, or even a significant percent of their SUVs dual mode SUVs.
Ultimately, GM is not very bullish on NiMH technology, and GM has not invested the kind of money into NiMH supply chains as Honda, and particularly Toyota, have. At this point they've put most of their battery eggs in the lithium basket.
Still, to me, the obvious application for dual mode hybrid technology is a pickup. This is where GM first should have put this technology.
And, while I think the Saturn Vue dual mode hybrid could be a fantastic hybrid - I wonder about its pricing.
nice SPECULATION but how about posting the truth instead of rumors.
well, if the traditional versions are being phased out according to Bob Lutz, do you really think they would continue to make the hybrid versions based upon today's sales output?
they would be losing huge amounts of money.
thus, unless bob lutz doesn't know what he's talking about - which would be odd since he's GM's product chief - then id say my statements are more fact that speculation.
Post a Comment
<< Home