Hybrid Updates

[Rich Parsons]

...

[FONT=&quot]GM Gives First Look at 2-Mode Hybrid SUVs [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]By Mike Sutton[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]WardsAuto.com, [/FONT][FONT=&quot]May 3, 2007[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]MILFORD[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]MI[/FONT][FONT=&quot] – General Motors Corp. super-sizes its hybrid-electric vehicle push as it gives an introductory look behind the wheel of the upcoming ’08 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrids – the industry’s first ambassadors of HEV technology to feature 8-passenger seating and fullsize utility.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Part of the auto maker’s recent effort to show its progress on alternative powertrain development, the new hybrids offer up much of the same form, function and feel of conventional SUVs, accompanied by the eerie silence of all-electric acceleration that portends fuel savings of up to 25%.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Considerable fine-tuning remains before the trucks are ready for their November Job One date, but preliminary drives around GM’s proving grounds here reveal the highly capable vehicles feature much more than simply one of the most advanced transmissions currently on the market.[/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]“We took a complete vehicle perspective,” Mark Cieslak, vehicle chief engineer-Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, says, noting GM’s efforts to dial in the handling and feel of the new SUVs to differentiate them from the volume models.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“We had to strike a balance between hybrid and truck (features),” he says.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Most of the specifics and ratings for the trucks, which will be the first vehicles to feature the 2-mode hybrid transmission GM developed in conjunction with DaimlerChrysler AG and BMW AG, still are being finalized, GM officials say.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]However, they assert both vehicles easily will achieve the promised fuel economy improvement without sacrificing utility.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Offered in both rear- and 4-wheel-drive layouts, the Tahoe and [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Yukon[/FONT][FONT=&quot] hybrids will be powered mainly by a 6.0L OHV V-8 featuring start/stop capability, late-intake-valve closing technology (for improved efficiency) and “300-plus hp,” says Cieslak.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]GM’s Active Fuel Management (AFM) cylinder deactivation system is featured, as well, and has been tuned to switch the engine to 4-cyl. mode more frequently and for longer durations than the standard model’s 5.3L V-8.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A pair of electric motors in the 2-mode transmission add 221 lb.-ft. (300 Nm) of low-end torque and can propel the hybrid SUVs to about 25 mph (40 km/h) on electric power alone. A 300-volt nickel-metal hydride battery (packaged neatly beneath the second row of seats), along with the requisite electronic controls and hybrid computers under the hood, complete the drivetrain.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The first mode of the 2-mode system is for low speed and light loads, where the electric motors, the engine, or any combination of the two, can provide propulsion, the auto maker says.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The second mode works primarily at higher speeds, reducing fuel consumption with AFM while providing the V-8 with an electric boost for improved passing and towing performance. The transmission also can lock out the electric motors at high speeds, giving the engine a direct mechanical link to the wheels and improving efficiency, says Scott Miller, lead development engineer-fullsize hybrid trucks.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Although limited drive time prohibited a full evaluation, the Tahoe hybrid proves to be a smooth-runner, with nearly seamless transitions between hybrid modes and 4- and 8-cyl. Operation.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Acceleration is brisk (accompanied by an un-hybrid-like V-8 growl), with driving dynamics close to those of the standard Tahoe and Yukon, albeit slightly unique due to the hybrids’ 42-volt electric power steering, low-rolling-resistance tires and special suspension tuning required by the lower center of gravity of the 2-mode transmission and battery.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Stopping performance from the regenerative braking system, which can recapture the vehicle’s kinetic energy from up to 100 mph (161 km/h), feels more than adequate without the heightened pedal sensitivity found on other HEVs.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Transparency is further aided by the hybrid SUVs’ still-cavernous cargo capacities and 6,200-lb. (2,812-kg) maximum tow ratings (6,000 lbs. [2,722 kg] for 4WD models), the most of any hybrid and about 2,000 lbs. (907 kg) less than that of conventional 4WD Tahoes and Yukons.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Cieslak says the NiMH battery pack is designed to last the life of the vehicle, with its state-of-charge kept between 40%-75% for optimum performance and longevity.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“([/FONT][FONT=&quot]Battery[/FONT][FONT=&quot]) safety is first and foremost,” he adds, noting GM spent considerable time conferring with emergency responders about safety features, emergency shut-off protocols and the location of high-voltage electrical components.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Other mechanical features unique to the new hybrids include an electric air-conditioning compressor and a lower 3.08:1 axle ratio for better highway cruising.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Despite GM’s efforts in developing the 2-mode system, the powertrain encompasses only one leg of the auto maker’s 3-pillar strategy for the Tahoe and Yukon Hybrids.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Improved aerodynamics and reduced mass (to compensate for the greater weight of the hybrid components) were key to optimizing efficiency and are evident in each vehicle’s revised appearance.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Aluminum components (hood, liftgate, bumper and prop shafts) replace steel to keep curb weights in check with the standard vehicles. Unique 18-in. alloy wheels further reduce weight and rolling resistance, while also serving to reduce aerodynamic drag, GM says.[/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]Also helping to achieve the new models’ lower 0.34-drag coefficient vs. the standard vehicles’ 0.36 Cd are new front and rear fascias, running boards, wheel-arch fairings, lower front air dam and revised rear air deflector, spoiler and D-pillars.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Special badging further signifies the vehicles’ HEV status.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Inside is standard Tahoe and Yukon fare, with the exception of thinner, low-mass front seats (which significantly improve rear-seat legroom), a 110-volt power outlet in the rear cargo bay and slightly less cargo room due to the battery pack under the second row of seats.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]To inform the driver of the hybrid system’s efficiency, the auto maker fitted a simple power gauge in the upper-left corner of the instrument cluster. The meter resembles the top half of a clock face and shows when the system is operating at its greatest efficiency.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“(Keeping the needle) between [/FONT][FONT=&quot]10 o’clock[/FONT][FONT=&quot] and [/FONT][FONT=&quot]2 o’clock[/FONT][FONT=&quot] is optimal (for efficiency), with straight up and down at [/FONT][FONT=&quot]12 o’clock[/FONT][FONT=&quot] being ideal,” Miller says of the meter’s ability to display efficiency in real time.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]A power-flow diagram also is integrated into one of the navigation screen menus and shows how, and in which direction, energy is being transferred between the engine, batteries, transmission and wheels – much like the system Toyota Motor Corp. pioneered on its Prius hybrid sedan.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]With the formal launch of vehicle assembly in [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Arlington[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]TX[/FONT][FONT=&quot], and 2-mode transmission production in [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Baltimore[/FONT][FONT=&quot], [/FONT][FONT=&quot]MD[/FONT][FONT=&quot], still more than six months away, GM declines to give details about output and rollout of the new hybrids.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]However, Mark Clawson, marketing manager-Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban/Avalanche, says the auto maker will build as many as it can sell.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“We have not missed one mark since this program started,” Cieslak adds, noting he and his team intend to fulfill Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner’s recent promise that 2-mode hybrid SUVs will be on dealer lots by the end of the year.[/FONT]

 

[Rich Parsons]

A Hybrid only repair shop.

http://www.wired.com/cars/coolwheels/news/2007/09/hybrid_mechanic/

 

[Rich Parsons]

...

Here's a link on Lithium-Ion video from John McElroy's show, Autoline Detroit. .... McElroy interviews some experts in the field, including the President/CEO of A123 Systems and the VP of Cobasys Systems Engrg. I thought you might be interested, it takes about 30 minutes to watch.

http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/show/1130

 

[OUMoose]

I'd love to drive a hybrid with my 30 mile one way commute everyday. However, the natural problem arises...

I can't afford a hybrid I can fit in comfortably.

being 6'5" and "husky", I don't care to drive cars where one shoulder is on the window, and the other is on the passenger seat. The new Yukon sounds fantastic, but what's the price tag? (sorry if it's in those quotes and I just missed it.) An '06 Yukon goes for around 25-30k used, which is waaaaaaaaay outside what I can afford right now, especially after factoring in 3k a year in gas.

<-- sad panda

 

[Rich Parsons]

I'd love to drive a hybrid with my 30 mile one way commute everyday. However, the natural problem arises...

I can't afford a hybrid I can fit in comfortably.

being 6'5" and "husky", I don't care to drive cars where one shoulder is on the window, and the other is on the passenger seat. The new Yukon sounds fantastic, but what's the price tag? (sorry if it's in those quotes and I just missed it.) An '06 Yukon goes for around 25-30k used, which is waaaaaaaaay outside what I can afford right now, especially after factoring in 3k a year in gas.

<-- sad panda

I do not know the cost.

The first link talks about it might be up for $10,000. I am not sure. I honestly have not seen aything on this.

The other two links are just some quick blurbs on it.

http://www.soultek.com/clean_energy/hybrid_cars/hybrid_car_types/GMC_Yukon_Hybrid.htm

http://blogs.edmunds.com/Straightline/1866


http://research.cars.com/go/crp/buy...ear=New&story=GMC&section=makes&subject=makes



The Fuel economy per sticker is 14/19 and the hybrid is supposed to improve it by 25%. The numbers I have heard from those driving them for everyday but haulers back and forth to work get a combined is 22 to 23 mpg. Take these numbers as rumor as I have not had a chance to verify.


http://www.gmc.com/yukon/yukon/specsFuel.jsp

 

[Rich Parsons]

Hybrids Become Unavoidable
Automotive News
By David Sedgwick
Oct. 29, 2007
TOKYO – For automakers, the hybrid powertrain is starting to feel as inevitable as death and taxes. Every manufacturer is working on one, whether it wants to or not.

Engineers say that hybrid powertrains are complex and expensive, with a big battery pack to put somewhere. Some think that modern diesels are a better bet – clean, less expensive than a hybrid and efficient.

Yet hybrids have caught on with the public as the environmentally responsible choice, thanks in large part to Toyota's brilliant marketing. So other automakers are adding hybrids to their product plans:
Nissan will introduce a hybrid-powered Infiniti model in the next few years.
Hyundai is considering launching a hybrid-powered Elantra and a hybrid Sonata in the United States around 2010.
In 2009, Honda plans to launch a new hybrid car – one not based on a gasoline version – to compete with the Prius, with annual volumes of 100,000 in North America.
Mazda is experimenting with a hydrogen-powered hybrid, though it has no plans to market it.
Meanwhile, Toyota sources say the automaker plans to offer a station wagon version of its next-generation Prius hybrid, which is due in 2009.
At the show, Audi unveiled the Metroproject quattro, a plug-in hybrid concept that hints at the company's future A1, a small, two-door car to be produced in 2009. The concept is powered by a gasoline engine mated to an electric motor and lithium ion batteries. There is no word yet on possible production plans for the plug-in version.
Even former skeptic Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn is changing his tune about hybrids. Last week, Ghosn moderated his earlier criticism of the technology. He said he had no complaint about the technology itself but simply questioned whether Nissan could make money selling it.

"I don't think I was against it," Ghosn said of the technology. "Hybrids are very promising."

It is not just the Japanese, look at the partnership of GM-Diamler-Chrysler-BMW using the GM hardware.


As to Diesels, they are a great way to improve the fuel economy right now. So, one may ask why not build more now? In Europe where they are the largest portion of the fleets, they have different requirements for emissions then in the USA. Oh the Gasoline Cars are real close and usually follow California's lead, but not with Diesels. They have been way behind because they have better fuel economy. Now there are many worried in Europe as they are looking to tighten that up to what North America has, this would be bad for the Diesel market. So, I disagree with the comment that they are Clean. Of course one can add about $4k on the low side to about $8k for just the medium duty Diesel Trucks here in North America. This extra cost is in sulfer traps, not required as much as the reduced or no sulfer diesel fuel - which does effect the performance of the older diesels - and NOx traps and pre & post cats.

Thisis why I believe that even the Big Diesel companies in Europe have not penetrated the North American Market as they cannot afford to sell them here for the Emission cost.

 

[Rich Parsons]

GM Seeks Fuel-Cell Fans Via Equinox Test Drive
Detroit Free Press
By Katie Merx
Oct. 28, 2007
"I'm less concerned about gas prices than I am concerned with the potential for reducing pollutants and emissions," said Recchia-O'Neill, a science coordinator for the Port Chester, N.Y., school district. "That's what excites me the most."
She describes herself as a fortysomething mother of two, concerned about the environment. "But we still need a vehicle that serves your needs as a family."
Maria Recchia-O'Neill is one of the first six lucky consumers General Motors Corp. selected to drive one of 100 Chevrolet Equinox fuel-cell vehicles.
GM plans to build 100 of the fuel-cell vehicles for the market-test program that will be available to residents in New York, Washington, D.C., and California. Each hydrogen-fueled Equinox will be assigned to about 10 driveways for three months each.
GM will supply Chevrolet Equinox fuel-cell SUVs, insurance and hydrogen fuel to drivers, who will include celebrities, policy makers and mainstream consumers.
Fuel cells convert hydrogen into electricity in a process from which the only emission is water. GM aims to develop a vehicle that costs no more to own and drive than a traditional gas-burning vehicle by 2010.
In the Equinox, GM expects that drivers will be able to travel 150 to 200 miles on one tank of hydrogen.
It's hard to make big plans for hydrogen-powered vehicles when only 66 operational hydrogen fueling stations exist in the entire United States. (There are almost 170,000 traditional gas stations nationwide.)
The presence of such stations is part of why GM chose to run the program in Los Angeles (where participants will have access to six hydrogen stations), New York (four) and Washington, D.C., (one).
(GM also wants to improve its reputation in those trend-influencing markets.)
Almost all of the major global automakers have fuel-cell vehicles on the road, but GM's 100-Equinox fuel-cell test is the largest such effort.
Honda Motor Co. points out that it is the only automaker with a fuel-cell vehicle fully certified to meet all applicable crash-safety standards. It has leased two of them to retail consumers.
Honda is planning to show the next generation of its FCX fuel-cell vehicle at the Los Angeles Auto Show next month.

This is good news, and should raise awareness of the infrastructure required.

 

[Rich Parsons]

GM Asks 100 People to Test Fuel Cell Cars
Automotive News
By Leslie B. Allen
Oct. 29, 2007
NEW YORK – General Motors kicked off an experiment that will place 100 hydrogen fuel cell-powered Chevrolet Equinoxes into the hands of average consumers. People in three metropolitan areas will drive the cars.

The automaker calls "Project Driveway" the first large-scale test of fuel cell vehicles. The drives will begin in January in suburban Los Angeles, New York and Washington.

Ordinary people and some unnamed celebrities will participate. They will drive the vehicles for up to three months. During that time, they will relay information to GM regularly on driveability, reliability, refueling process and safety perceptions.

Journalists drove a small fleet of the vehicles through Manhattan on Monday, Oct. 22.

Larry Burns, GM's vice president of research, development and strategic planning, compared the testers to modern-day Apollo astronauts. He praised them for exploring the new frontier of hydrogen power.

Anotehr article about Fuel Cells

 

[Rich Parsons]

From link: http://biz.yahoo.com/brn/071214/23870.html?.v=1&.pf=loans

Bankrate.com
Hybrid lease payments may rise soon
Friday December 14, 6:00 am ET
Terry Jackson
Hybrids are attractive vehicles in this era of $3-plus gasoline. Even though the revised method for calculating federal fuel economy has knocked down the estimated mileage on all cars, especially some hybrids, gas-electric hybrids still are the most fuel-efficient vehicles available.
But do they make long-term economic sense? Most savvy buyers know that hybrids cost at least $2,500 more than comparable gas-only vehicles, which means it would take years to recoup the added cost. Many buyers are willing to make that commitment.
But a new study by the company that sets residual values for the leasing industry is forecasting that most hybrids will return a smaller percentage of their value after three years than their gasoline-only counterparts.
For example, a hybrid Toyota Camry will be worth about 51 percent of its original purchase price, while a gas-only Camry will be worth 55 percent, according to Automotive Lease Guide.
Those numbers don't necessarily mean that a hybrid will be worth less in absolute dollars in three years. Because the hybrid costs more when new, it will be worth more than its gas-only counterpart.
So what's the reason behind the discrepancy in residual values?
It all comes down to the difference between what new-car buyers want and what used-car buyers look for.
Basically, used-car buyers shop price first and apparently worry about fuel economy second. The hybrid will cost more used, and that accounts for it being less desirable three years down the road, which cuts into the residual value.
The Automotive Lease Guide didn't account for whether buyers shopping for used hybrids may be put off by concerns about the long-term reliability of the gas-hybrid propulsion systems. Hybrid cars typically have longer warranties on their propulsion systems, so that shouldn't be an issue for buyers of 3-year-old hybrids.
What does this new rating on the residual value of hybrids mean to buyers?
It could mean that lease payments on many hybrids will be higher because of the lower residual values. That could make the economic equation of buying a hybrid even more questionable for some buyers.
Still, it's unlikely that the passion for hybrids will be cooled.
Through the first 10 months of 2007, hybrid sales were up 26.2 percent to 266,182. Incidentally, Toyotas accounted for 81.3 percent of such cars sold.