GM's
dual mode hybrid powertrain not fit for small hybrid cars
Wednesday,
November 14, 2007
No
small hybrids from GM until the Volt
Yesterday, I sat at the dinner table with GM's Bob Lutz
and his wife. While I enjoyed some fine wine, a nice filet
mignon, and a sweet piece of cheesecake, nothing could
have been sweeter than the conversation.
Quite frankly, Bob Lutz is one cool dude.
One of the questions I asked Mr. Lutz was, essentially,
'Why not make a small hybrid car to challenge the Toyota
Prius? Call it a shot over Toyota's hybrid bow, and a
PR move to quiet GM's environmental critics.'
Because, Lutz told me, the dual mode hybrid powertrain
just isn't scalable to vehicles that size, and it really
wasn't ever meant for a small vehicle. Instead, Lutz and
GM believe that hybrid
suvs do more good than full hybrid
cars, at least for GM's core customers.
Certainly, GM could have built a hybrid powertrain similar
to Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive that would have worked
for smaller hybrid cars, but they didn't. Rather, GM built
a hybrid powertrain for some of its most important
vehicles, and the drivers of those vehicles.
For example, the Hybrid Synergy Drive isn't great for
towing, whereas GM's dual mode hybrid powertrain is made
for such a task - while providing great fuel economy. And,
really, should it be surprising that GM focused on hybrid
technology for some of its bread and butter products?
Nonetheless, don't expect any small hybrid cars from GM
until the Chevy
Volt.
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