General Motors is getting as much mileage out of its new hybrid systems as it can--in more ways than one. At this year's Los Angeles Auto Show, the automaker unveiled three production models that make use of its different hybrid technologies.
Like the Saturn Green Line hybrids, the Malibu Hybrid features regenerative braking, early fuel shut-off during deceleration and an autostop function for cutting the engine during idling. All this adds up to an EPA rating of 24 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. The Malibu Hybrid will go on sale with a base price of $22,790.
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Not only does the Malibu get an all-new body style for 2008, it also gets an available hybrid power train. Unlike the 2-Mode hybrid system that GM is using in its full-size trucks, the Malibu gets GM's Belt Alternator Starter system, found in the Saturn Vue and Aura Green Lines. The BAS replaces the car's conventional alternator with an electric motor/generator and adds a nickel-metal hydride battery pack.
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Like the Yukon Hybrid, the Silverado features a 6-liter gasoline engine, which is assisted by a 300-volt nickel metal hydride battery pack. According to Chevy, the Silverado Hybrid, which is the world's first full-sized hybrid pickup, is able to travel up to 30 miles on electric power alone.
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Making its world debut in LA is the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid. Like the 2008 Yukon and Tahoe Hybrids, the Silverado makes use of GM's 2-Mode technology, which features two electrically controlled variable transmission (ECVT) modes that change based on the car's speed and engine demand.
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The Escalade Hybrid is distinguishable by its unique grille, new exhaust system, and "Hybrid"-branded fender louvres. Like its 2-Mode Hybrid stablemates, it can be run solely on electric power.
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The Cadillac Escalade is one of the last cars we associate with environmental consciousness, but the Big Daddy of Caddies showed some green credentials in LA. The Escalade Hybrid shares its power train with the Silverado, Yukon, and Tahoe Hybrids and gets more than a 50 percent improvement in fuel economy in city driving, according to GM.
