No
Small GM hybrid vehicles until the Chevy Volt?
Tuesday,
October 30, 2007
A
good way to hedge the Volt, change image?
In December, the first full hybrid
vehicles from GM will hit the market. While the Chevy
Tahoe hybrid and the GMC
Yukon hybrid will fit GM's current product portfolio
well, they are not vehicles that are going to increase
marketshare, or change perception about GM.
Without a Toyota
Prius-contender, GM's hybrid efforts - its green
efforts - will not be taken seriously outside of GM's core
customers. Is that fair? Who cares, it's reality.
Of course, GM believes it has not just a Prius-contender,
but a Prius-killer, the Chevy
Volt. Unfortunately, the Volt won't be available for a
few more years, at least.
On the other hand, a dual mode Chevy Cobalt hybrid could
have been the perfect interim product. Actually, instead
of a Cobalt, a Cobalt - hybrid-only - derivative.
Why? When the Chevy Volt finally becomes reality, it will
be built upon GM's future platform, the E-Flex drive. The
E-Flex drive will built upon GM's global compact vehicle
structure, often referred to as Delta, which is,
essentially, the Chevy Cobalt.
So, why not take a real step towards the future today?
Sure, a Cobalt hybrid would not utilize the same
powertrain as the future of E-Flex platform vehicles, but
who cares? When GM does launch the E-Flex platform, the
Volt will not be the only vehicle produced on this
platform. Thus, a more conventional hybrid, such as a
lithium, or a ultracapacitor-powered, hybrid, is also
possible, such as a Cobalt hybrid.
In fact, a Cobalt lithium-powered hybrid might be a better
E-Flex debut because it could probably happen sooner than
a range-extended hybrid like the Volt.
Now, in the long run, if GM's E-Flex platform is
successful, the fact that GM didn't challenge the Prius
until the Volt will probably be irrelevant. However, if it
takes longer for the Volt to evolve into cost-effective,
mass-production reality, then the Cobalt hybrid could have
been a powerful bridge to the future.
Most important, however, a Cobalt hybrid could have helped,
rather than hyped, sell GM's green future today.
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