General Motors, responding to criticism that it is late to the party with hybrid technology, is the first to announce hybrid versions of full-size sport-utility vehicles.
The Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon in 2007 will get gasoline-electric hybrid technology GM says will improve fuel economy about 30 percent over current models.
GM said that it will offer the same hybrid system in 2008 on the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickups and that the technology will not reduce the vehicles’ load-carrying or trailer-towing capabilities.
Current versions of those trucks average 16-17 m.p.g. with the 5.3-liter V-8, the engine that will be used on the hybrids. A 30 percent increase would boost economy to 21-22 m.p.g.
GM would not discuss the cost of the hybrid system, how much it adds to vehicle prices or how many it expects to sell.
It gave few details on the technology. The system will include two electric motors and technology from hybrid GM mass-transit buses used in the Seattle area.
The 5.3-liter V-8 also will have displacement-on-demand, which shuts down half the cylinders when the vehicle is cruising to save fuel.
Tom Stephens, group vice president of GM Powertrain, said GM was able to reduce the size of the batteries, motors and other hardware to fit its full-size trucks without major design changes.
The hybrids will be built on the same assembly lines as conventional models.
“It’s a very innovative solution. We believe this could become the industry standard in hybrid architecture,” Stephens said. He added that the system could be sold to other companies.
Other hybrid SUVs are car-based and not designed for heavy-duty uses such as towing or hauling large loads.
Toyota will add light-duty hybrid systems to two car-based SUVs in the 2005 model year, the Lexus RX330 and Toyota Highlander. Ford will offer an Escape hybrid next fall using a system similar to Toyota’s.
“The full hybrid technology we favor is really not well suited for work vehicles,” said Dave Hermance, Toyota’s executive engineer for hybrid vehicles.
Toyota’s second-generation hybrid sedan, the Prius, rates 55 m.p.g. in the EPA fuel-economy estimates, and the Honda Civic Hybrid gets 47.
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Walter McManus, global forecasting director for J.D. Power and Associates, says the fuel savings can be greater on GM’s hybrid trucks.
According to the EPA’s estimates, a Civic Hybrid uses 135 fewer gallons of gas per year than a conventional Civic, based on 15,000 miles. On a Tahoe, GM claimed 30 percent fuel-economy improvement would save 223 gallons per year.
“That’s where it’s worth more in a big truck than a small car. The Civic was already pretty fuel efficient,” McManus said.
GM also announced it had scrapped plans for a full hybrid system on the Saturn Vue and similar Chevrolet Equinox, midsize, car-based SUVs. Instead, the Vue will get an integrated alternator/starter system that provides a 12-15 percent mileage increase.
The same system could become available on the Equinox if there is demand. GM will offer a similar mild hybrid Chevrolet Malibu sedan in 2007.
GM repeated that it could build 1 million hybrids per year by 2007, but the number hinges on customer acceptance and whether GM can make money on the vehicles.
“We have to meet our business objectives and can’t subsidize them in the long term,” said Larry Burns, vice president of research and development. “They have to be profitable for General Motors and affordable for our customers.”