Newbiewar

... lol... but your insurance doesnt have to pay if its not your fault... and if such an accident happens... at least in cali... and the driver runs... if its in a parkinglot... the owner of the property must pay... becuase they are suppose to monitor the property and not allow the hit runner to leave... but most parking lots are unattended

your not totally wrong... but heres the break down of how the tranmission opperates Input-split ECVT mode, or continuously variable Mode 1, operates from vehicle launch through the second fixed gear ratio. Compound-split ECVT mode, or continuously variable Mode 2, operates after the second fixed gear ratio. First fixed-gear ratio with both electric motors available to boost the internal combustion engine or capture and store energy from regenerative braking, deceleration and coasting. Second fixed-gear ratio with one electric motor available for boost/braking, Third fixed-gear ratio with two electric motors available for boost/braking. Fourth fixed-gear ratio with one electric motor available for boost/braking.

maybe this will help... CVT by definition or if that source isnt good enough to define a CVT we should goto another but... in no means would you describe a CVT to have 4 gears...but... an Electrical CVT... as defined by GM DCX and BMW

this was what was supposed to be designed... Official Press Release (via DaimlerChrysler) GM, DaimlerChrysler, BMW Premiere Unprecedented Hybrid Technology Vienna, Apr 27, 2006 The state-of-the-art full hybrid system, whose components are being co-developed by General Motors Corp., DaimlerChrysler and the BMW Group for production beginning next year, represents a major automotive industry milestone due to the unprecedented fully integrated combination of electric motors with a fixed-gear transmission. As a result of its low- and high-speed electric continuously variable transmission (ECVT) modes, the system is commonly referred to as the 2-mode hybrid. However, the sophisticated fuel-saving system also incorporates four fixed gear ratios for high efficiency and power-handling capabilities in a broad variety of vehicle applications. During the two ECVT modes and four fixed gear operations, the hybrid system can use the electric motors for boosting and regenerative braking. In summary, the four fixed gears overlay two ECVT modes for a total of six operating functions: Input-split ECVT mode, or continuously variable Mode 1, operates from vehicle launch through the second fixed gear ratio. Compound-split ECVT mode, or continuously variable Mode 2, operates after the second fixed gear ratio. First fixed-gear ratio with both electric motors available to boost the internal combustion engine or capture and store energy from regenerative braking, deceleration and coasting. Second fixed-gear ratio with one electric motor available for boost/braking, Third fixed-gear ratio with two electric motors available for boost/braking. Fourth fixed-gear ratio with one electric motor available for boost/braking. The result is trend-setting hybrid technology that provides superior fuel economy, performance and load carrying capability. The full hybrid system being co-developed by General Motors, DaimlerChrysler and the BMW Group has an overall mechanical content and size similar to a conventional automatic transmission, yet this full hybrid transmission can operate in infinitely variable gear ratios or one of the four fixed-gear ratios. A sophisticated electronic control module constantly optimizes the entire hybrid powertrain system to select the most efficient operation point for the power level demanded by the driver. Key Advantages When compared to conventional hybrid systems, this avant-garde hybrid technology, relying on both the ECVT modes and the four fixed gear ratios, provides advantages in combined (city and highway) fuel economy, dynamics and towing capability. Traditional hybrid systems typically have only one torque-splitting arrangement and no fixed mechanical ratios. These systems are often called “one-mode” hybrids. Due to their less capable mechanical content, one-mode hybrids need to transmit a significant amount of power through an electrical path that is 20 percent less efficient than a mechanical path. This requires usually substantial compromise in vehicle capability or reliance on larger electrical motors, which can create cost, weight and packaging issues. General Motors, DaimlerChrysler and the BMW Group have conceived a full hybrid system featuring four fixed mechanical ratios, within the two ECVT modes, to reduce power transmission through the less efficient electrical path. Consequently, the electric motors are more compact and less dependent on engine size. This combination of two ECVT modes and four fixed gear ratios eliminates the drawbacks of one-mode hybrid systems to allow for efficient operation throughout a vehicle’s operating range, at low and high speeds. It also allows for application across a broader variety of vehicles. It is particularly beneficial in demanding applications that require larger engines, such as towing, hill climbing or carrying heavy loads. Existing internal combustion engines can be used with relatively minimal alteration because the full hybrid system imposes no significant limitation on the size or type of engine. It enables the three global automakers to package internal combustion engines with the full hybrid transmissions more cost-effectively and offer the fuel-saving technology across a wider range of vehicles. Initial applications are suitable for front-engine, rear- and four-wheel-drive vehicle architectures, but the full hybrid system has the flexibility to be used in front-engine, front-wheel-drive architectures in the future as well. this is what edmunds says... What Is It? 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid & GMC Yukon Hybrid What's Special About It? Hybrids are fuel-efficient, sometimes even fast, but rugged enough to take on an off-road trail? Not with all those expensive batteries onboard. General Motors plans to destroy this myth sometime in 2007 when the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and GMC Yukon Hybrid come to market. They may be part-electric, but these are real SUVs. You can even get them with four-wheel drive and a low-range transfer case. Not your thing? No problem, order up eight-passenger seating and two-wheel drive. "Basically," says Mark LaNeve, VP of sales, service and marketing for GM North America, "you can get them any way you want." Originally developed for GM's mass-transit buses, the Tahoe/Yukon "two-mode" hybrid system pairs two electric motors with one of GM's Vortec V8 engines. Company officials didn't want to tell us the V8's displacement, but they did say the engine's compression ratio is up from 9.9-to-1 to 12-to-1. The first of the hybrid system's two modes covers low-speed, light-duty driving, and allows for electric propulsion only, gas engine propulsion only, or any combination of the two. The second mode comes into play during high-speed driving or when pulling heavy loads. In this mode, the gas engine is almost always active with the electric motor providing assist when necessary. To save fuel, the V8 employs cylinder deactivation (GM's Active Fuel Management), variable camshaft phasing and late intake valve closure when operating in this mode. An onboard computer allows for synchronous shifts between modes with no interruption in power. GM calls the Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid's transmission an electronically variable transmission, which has no fixed gear ratios as in a conventional automatic, nor any belts and pulleys as in a CVT. GM says this hybrid system promises to improve fuel economy 25 percent. That means a Tahoe Hybrid would average about 22.7 mpg. What's Edmunds' Take? Almost 23 mpg in a vehicle that seats eight and can tow up to 6,000 pounds? Hybrid technology may well save big SUVs from extinction. — Erin Riches But i cant find anything to actually state the current powertrain status...

FOR RELEASE: 2007-07-17 Auto Insurance First: Technology Lets Americans who Drive Less, Pay Less GMAC Insurance rolls out nationwide discount program for low-mileage driving; leverages in-vehicle OnStar by GM technology to save up to 54% on premiums DETROIT AND ST. LOUIS – Today, GMAC Insurance and OnStar announced the rollout of the Low-Mileage Discount program where Americans who drive less, pay less on their auto insurance. The opt-in program is the first of its kind leveraging state-of-the-art technology using OnStar to allow customers who drive fewer miles to benefit from substantial savings. Eligible active OnStar subscribers simply sign up to save on their premiums (up to 54%) if they drive less than 15,000 miles annually. Since the pilot program began, 10,000 participants have enrolled in the Low-Mileage Discount program. Under the program, new customers receive an automatic 11% discount, as well as the GMAC Insurance OnStar Subscriber Discount, upon enrollment (existing customers receive a discount based on historical mileage). With the subscriber’s permission, the odometer reading from his or her monthly OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics email is forwarded to GMAC Insurance. Based on those readings, the company will decrease their premiums using discount tiers corresponding to miles driven. There is no additional reporting, downloading or monitoring required, and no additional data is gathered or used for any purpose other than to help manage transportation costs. Customers who drive more than 15,000 miles per year are not penalized. In fact, all OnStar customers receive a discount for simply having an active OnStar subscription. “Customers who drive less should pay less, and this program allows customers to use technology already in their vehicles to give them the discounts they deserve,” said Gary Kusumi, president and CEO, GMAC Insurance. “Giving consumers the power of cost control is a welcome advance, especially as people manage their transportation costs more closely in the midst of fluctuating gas prices. The program also encourages people to limit unnecessary driving, helping the environment in the process.” Robert Panczak of Schaumburg, IL, experienced the benefits of the GMAC Insurance Low-Mileage Discount program first-hand as a participant in the program pilot. Panczak is savvy about the insurance industry and wanted to find a company that offered the best value for his needs. He had three cars in all, but one, a Saturn VUE equipped with OnStar, was driven very rarely and only for short trips. Since beginning the pilot program in March 2006, Panczak has saved $500 per year with the Low-Mileage Discount alone. “Before switching to GMAC Insurance, my premiums were eating me alive,” Panczak said, “and since I didn’t use one car as often as the others, why should I pay the same amount in insurance? Now, I don’t have to.” “We are bringing more value to the 2.8 million subscribers who receive monthly OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics emails,” said Chet Huber, OnStar president. “Not only are we providing them with information about the health of key operating systems in their vehicles, we are helping them to save on their transportation costs as well.” OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics is an industry-first service available only from GM, which collects valuable maintenance information on four of the vehicle’s key operating systems from hundreds of diagnostic checks and sends a personalized e-mail directly to the owner once a month. The GMAC Insurance Low-Mileage Discount program is easy to initiate, with no effort from the customer beyond initial enrollment. There are no additional devices installed in the vehicle, and the only data that GMAC Insurance collects are miles driven on a monthly basis. Other low-mileage discount programs have met with customer resistance due to privacy concerns over the level of data collected. Drivers can also opt to take advantage of enhanced accident support services. If a GMAC Insurance customer is involved in an collision, they can request the OnStar advisor to transfer them to a representative to initiate the claim and arrange for towing and rental car services, after responding to any emergency assistance needed. Customers must enroll in OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics to be eligible for the GMAC Insurance Low Mileage Discount. Eligible OnStar subscribers can enroll in the opt-in service at no additional cost by simply pressing their blue OnStar button and asking to be enrolled, or by visiting the OnStar Web site ( www.onstar.com ). OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics service can be activated on most 2004 model-year or newer OnStar-equipped GM vehicles that have GM’s Oil-Life System. The only information shared with GMAC Insurance for the Low-Mileage Discount is miles driven on a monthly basis. OnStar will be standard on most GM retail cars, trucks and SUVs in the United States and Canada by the end of 2007. Currently, the GMAC Insurance Low-Mileage Discount is available in the following 34 states: Alabama Arizona Colorado Florida Idaho Illinois Indiana Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Mexico New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin GMAC Insurance plans to extend availability to additional states in the next year. Doing the Math: Specific Savings Following is a breakdown of the discounts offered in the GMAC Insurance Low-Mileage Discount program, including the OnStar Subscriber Discount: Annual Mileage Average Total Savings* 0-2,500 54% 2,501-5,000 39% 5,001-7,500 34% 7,501-10,000 26% 10,001-12,500 18% 12,501-15,000 13% * Average total savings include the Low-Mileage Discount and the OnStar Anti-Theft Discount combined. The LMD is full-policy savings at the vehicle level. The OnStar Subscriber Discount provides savings off of the Bodily Injury, Comprehensive and Property Damage coverages of the vehicle policy. Drivers who average fewer than 5,000 miles per year may receive even more than 35% in savings. In addition to the Low-Mileage Discount program, GMAC Insurance offers even more discounts on auto insurance premiums for current GMAC Auto Finance and GMAC Mortgage customers; GM Cardmembers; GM/GMAC employees and retirees; active OnStar subscribers; customers with multiple GM vehicles; and customers who qualify as safe drivers. For more information on the GMAC Insurance Low-Mileage Discount Program and additional discounts for GM and GMAC Insurance products, and to find a local independent agent, call 1-800-GMAC-123, or visit www.gmacinsurance.com to receive a quote. The GMAC Insurance Group is one of the largest automobile insurers in the United States and is a wholly owned subsidiary of GMAC Financial Services. GMAC Insurance Personal Lines offers a variety of property and casualty products, including personal auto, RV, motorcycle, boat and commercial auto insurance. With a nationwide network of claims professionals, local independent agents and a 24-hour, toll-free claims hotline available 365 days a year, GMAC Insurance provides superior claims service for its customers. About OnStar by GM Now with more than 5 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada, OnStar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors, is the leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and communication services. OnStar is available on more than 50 MY 2007 GM models. One year of OnStar will become standard on nearly all GM retail vehicles in the United States and Canada by the end of 2007. More information about OnStar can be found at www.onstar.com. For MY 2007, General Motors is offering Advanced Automotive Crash Notification (AACN) on more than 2 million vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. This service is available on more than 40 GM vehicles – up more than 20 percent from MY 2006 – including a broad range of OnStar-equipped vehicles ranging from small sedans like the Chevy Cobalt to sport utility and luxury vehicles. OnStar receives approximately 1,200 airbag deployment notifications and 700 AACN calls each month.

GM to Introduce Two-Mode Hybrid Suvs for 2008 Model Year GM, DaimlerChrysler and BMW Group have teamed up to co-develop the world’s first two-mode hybrid system for passenger vehicles to more rapidly advance the state of hybrid technology in the industry. The two-mode hybrid system has been established as the starting point for the GM, DaimlerChrysler and BMW Group collaboration. The two-mode system will be used for applications in GM, Chrysler Group, Mercedes Car Group, and BMW Group vehicles. Variants planned include rear, front, and all-wheel drive versions for cars, trucks and other vehicles. The two-mode hybrid will be launched in 2007 in two of GM’s most popular full-size SUVs – the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe and the 2008 GMC Yukon. When combined with Active Fuel Management, the two-mode hybrid is expected to enable the SUVs to deliver a composite (city and highway mpg) fuel economy improvement of 25 percent. It is also scheduled to come out in 2008 on the Cadillac Escalade as well as the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra crewcab pickup trucks. Using this system on full-size SUVs and pickups is part of GM’s strategy to apply advanced technologies on high-volume, higher fuel-consuming vehicle segments first. The system uses two electrically continuously variable transmission (ECVT) modes of operation that optimize power and torque for various conditions. The addition of the second mode to the drive system improves efficiency and reduces the need for large electric motors, which are used in single-mode systems. The smaller motors are lighter and more easily packaged in the space of a typical automatic transmission. The ECVT modes are combined with four fixed gear ratios for high efficiency and power handling capabilities in a broad variety of vehicle applications. The combination of the two ECVT modes and four fixed gear ratios allows for efficient operation throughout a vehicle’s operating range, at low and high speeds. Also, a sophisticated electronic control module constantly optimizes the entire hybrid powertrain system to select the most efficient operation point for the power level demanded by the driver.

hey chopsticks... i feel very cultivized knowing i enjoy eating my japanese food like that...

the bill doesnt mention china either... the bill doesnt mention any of them... but what it does mention is a country that alters its currency to sell stuff cheaper to america... and japan has been blamed for that numerous times... expecially by gm fanatics... now im in a pinch of time... but... i'm sure someone can provide some evidence to suggest this as being true enough for the bill to apply to japanese products

if it is indeed a 4 speed... adding a six speed a couple years down the road will provide it additional ecconomy...

i keep asking if lambda is capable of replacing the chevy uplander... that way it is a different style of vehicle... yet it still uses the same archatectureand if it got 40% gains too... you know if those gains are seen in the big vehicles... thats the bare minimum of the system...

i think this will massively affect much of the ecconomy of these countrys... for example toyota, sony, etc... if a 27.5% tax was put on toyotas... they wouldnt be marketable in america would they? such a tax would give the american companies a much needed financial break while the other countries re-esatblished their prioritys... we've been bitching about japan doing this for years... if the president were to approve such a bill then it sure would be a mighty steel fist...

how long do you think cerbrus is gonna keep chrysler? if sales jump by lets say 30% in the next 5 years... it will be worth the price it was when benz bought it... like 35 billion instead of the 7.4 they bought it for... they'll just strip it of its financial unit... and sell off the automotive section

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/ar...2&Symbol=GM

umm... its a weapon later on down the road... if 40% is possible with this powertrain and the 6 speed is capable of another 5-15% increase depending on application... GM will be able to see some major gains in fuel ecconomy... but if u think about it... if GM is marketing the hybrid expense at 10k... is it really worth it... maybe.... but gm will sell some, and make a killing i think

yea fixed everything i didnt like about the vehicle except the electric steering... nice interior, gauges buttons, fabric on doors, grill, wood trim, better plastic dash board... nicer fabric on the seat... pretty much an all around improvement i always used to hate showing off the equinox because of its bland color... just a sea of grey or beige... but they freshened it up quite a bit... made the grill more prominate made the interior more colorful and smoother flowing... 2007 was a nice update... hopefully SS model is supposed to be coming soon no?

thats what i was talking about... but realistically... the only way to improve plating is to reduce ground clearance... some of those channeled explotions can penatrate 9-13 inches of steel... but apparently in 2005 or so the marines noticed if you have a flat underbody... its much more easily penatrated then if its a slanted underbody, like the V shape... would allow the explotion to take the path of least resistance instead of be forced to go up into the cabin... they brought it to the attention of the department of defense... but still has not to be acted on...

Your right The vehicles we use are the Hemtt.. we use a couple of humvees but thats just cause our Hemtts only hold 2 people...

you've got to remember last quarter toyota did everything they could to pull people out of 06's and what not to put them into an 07... they are, as we would say at the dealership, burning customers... if you just got your car a year ago or so... and toyota says... hey the leasing program allows you to pull out now! i'd look at them like wtf... why do you want me to get out of this vehicle so fast... i dont beleive toyota can maintain the top spot...

yea... the trucks we use... have a 300 gallon tank with 450 mile range... so... if u can imagine we dont think too much about fuel ecconomy... we always drive a fuel tanker anywhere we go... and the humvees dont drink too much... i dont think they'll be putting in a hybrid system... they want these vehicles to opperate without using electricity... in case of an EMP shockwave or something they dont want to become immobilzed... thats one reason the army uses diesel in almost everything... i know the new humvee is supposed to achieve 90 ton miles per gallon... and i'm not sure what the difference between 90 ton mpg and 90 mpg is... cause i would think a vehicle with such capablity wouldnt be able to achieve 90 mpg... ahh... found it out... multiply the vehicles weight in tons times the fuel ecconomy... so that means this new generation ought to be getting aprox 30 mpg... i dont know if these new humvees incorperate the new design of the underbody... but the current humvee doesnt have an axel between the wheels... it goes into the chassis... kinda weird too look at... most vehicles you look under and you'll see the axel, the differential... but by just glancing... all that stuff is tucked under the actual vehicle... but one design that was supposed to give it a more strength to bombs is a 'V' shape to the underbody... allowing the explotion to goto one side or the other instead of into the cab... but i dont know if this design was implemented on this vehicle...

well that's the thing... a vehicle with a larger gcvwr than 26,000lbs requires a B class drivers liscense to be opperated... thus GMs decission to uder rate the silverados and medium duty vehicles...

last i recall Toyota was losing market share in australia and europe... and GM is outpacing global growth excluding the U.S. but if u can show me that they've been inproving in all both areas i will retract my statement...

hrmm... it would be nice to see GM outpacing toyota... Toyota managed to get #1 first quarter... GM getting it second quarter... u know? cause i think GM's growth in the rest of the world is comming at toyota's loss...

probably not... but maybe check in a few years, reruns on the history channel... "Why the American ecconomy failed"

styling isnt always the most important thing... fit and finnish makes the appearnce of a more quality vehicle... even if you dont prefer the styling... dont you enjoy it more then the previous model?

probably because GM over buit one color... but maybe just cause its easier to all have the same color... but i dont know why most people consider fleet sales as bad... the bad fleet customers are the ones that replace their cars once every 2-3 months... but someone like google with a fleet that size will keep their vehicles for probably 5-10 years... and im sure they got some sort of corperate repair program... if gm kept all its fleet customers except for budget and the car rental places... and only give them the higher quality vehicles so that it shows highly of gm not poorly... if you got that fancy rate of 30$ a day or whatever on a cts... instead of an aveo... wouldnt you be happier? and wouldnt it show GM as a better vehicle? but when companys are using the vehicles every day, professionals driving them as their mode of transportation... fleet is awesome... a lot of times fleet vehicles see 350k miles... where as rental cars see 6-30k before they are turned back to the dealership network...