Saturn will offer less-expensive hybrid model

[Northstar]

By Richard Truett
Automotive News / September 05, 2005

http://www.autonews.com/article.cms?articleId=54359

The new Saturn Vue Greenline gasoline-electric hybrid coming next summer will add a twist to the hybrid equation: a more affordable price.

Value, along with better fuel economy and lower emissions, will be the key selling points of the vehicle, says Tom Stephens, GM's group vice president of global powertrain.

The 2007 model will be GM's first high-volume gasoline-electric hybrid.

Stephens says GM won't charge as high a premium for the hybrid Vue as some competitors ask for their models. GM has not released the price.

Ford Motor Co. charges a premium of about $3,300 for the Escape Hybrid; Honda Motor Co. tacks on about $4,000 to the price of the Civic Hybrid sedan, and Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus Division charges more than $5,300 for the hybrid powertrain in the Lexus RX 400h SUV.

The Vue hybrid is less expensive to produce because, unlike Ford and Toyota hybrids, the Vue's electric motor won't propel the vehicle by itself at low speeds and won't require expensive drivetrain modifications. The Vue is a mild hybrid, which uses the electric motor for start/stop and for a boost upon acceleration. The Civic Hybrid operates in the same manner.

Although GM will save money on the Vue's powertrain, the fuel economy gains are not as big as they are on full or strong hybrids. GM expects the Vue hybrid to deliver between 12 and 15 percent, as opposed to the 20 percent gain of a full hybrid, which uses an electric motor to propel the vehicle at low speeds.

But Stephens says GM believes there are customers who want hybrids but won't spend extra money to buy one.

GM is working on a full hybrid system with DaimlerChrysler AG for its larger SUVs that will be available in the 2007 model year.

Two other hybrid vehicles are in limited production at GM. The company has made fewer than 500 diesel-electric city buses and plans 2,500 gasoline-electric pickups this year.

[Flybrian]

You save a little less gas but a lot more money. GM would also be wise to debut hybrids on lower-output 4cyl (6cyl for Impala, etc) motors as opposed to giving higher-output engines a power boost as Honda is doing.

[4gm]

I think this announcement is way too early. It should've been saved for the beginning of 2006.

[Ghost Dog]

Of Course if it's the Belt Alternator system, it only adds 600-1000 to the build cost.

[Northstar]

I'm pretty sure it is the BAS. I didn't realize it had an electic motor too until a couple months ago.

[Mule Bakersdozen LS]

Glad to see they're finally kicking the long-rumored Green Line program into gear-I hope they sell, and hopefully they'll have an Aura Green Line, that would really sell. And call me crazy, but how about a Sky Green Line? That would be most unlikely, but hey, a hot roadster with better fuel economy and still-hopefully decent performance, why not?

[Dsuupr]

So, any chance of them adding the system to every vehicle they sell?

[Ghost Dog]

So, any chance of them adding the system to every vehicle they sell?

[post="9747"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Last I knew the B.A.S. system was only applicable to 4 cylinders.

B.A.S. is a start/stop system. When the Brake is applied the engine is shutoff. when the brake is released, a small electric motor cranks the engine to restart.

[Northstar]

The info I have says the Aura gets it mated to the 2.4 in March of '07 and it says the Malibu (next gen) gets it mated to the 2.4 in August of '07. The same sheet says the VUE gets it mated tot he 2.4 in June '06, so I'm guessing it's correct on the others too.

[Ghost Dog]

Although there have been B.A.S. Trials on the 5.3 V8

http://www.delphi.com/pdf/techpapers/2004-...r%20system'

[GMinTheDriveway]

So what are the Silverado/Sierra Hybrids if not B-A-S?

[91z4me]

So what are the Silverado/Sierra Hybrids if not B-A-S?

[post="10200"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

They kind of have an electric torque converter. There used to be a diagram of how it worked on GM powertrain's technology area, but I don't see it now.

http://media.gm.com/us/powertrain/en/hybrid/index.html

[capriceman]

a the saturn green line i hope it sells but i hate hybrids. AND GM BETTER B DOIN THE BAS TESTING SEVERLY AND THE ENGINE STARTER if it wont ware out fast.

[drew770]

Okay, So GM has a mild hybrid that is cheap and offers 15% to 20% fuel economy improvment!! Well, GM's advertisement department better get ready to kick the Saturn Green Line into high gear. This is a dream for GM and hopefully the media and consumers take advantage of this technology and it's benefits.

[Ghost Dog]

So what are the Silverado/Sierra Hybrids if not B-A-S?

[post="10200"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/..._drives_en.html

An innovative technology for economic and dynamic driving stands with ISAD Crankshaft Starter Generator (CSG) at the center of the hybrid drive product line - a system, which lowers fuel consumption by up to 15 percent.

The Mild Hybrid System is a single electric engine that replaces both starter and generator while noticeably surpassing their function. Since 2003 ISAD has been in series production for use in a light truck of General Motors.