GM/BMW/DC To Invest $1 Billion In Hybrid Tech - For Yukon, Tahoe, Durango

[hatrack]

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - A research alliance consisting of General Motors Corp., BMW AG and DaimlerChrysler AG plans to invest over US$1 billion in the development of a new hybrid transmission and related systems that backers say will leapfrog the market-leading technology now offered by Toyota Motor Corp.

The three automakers have about 500 engineers who have been working for the past 18 months on the joint development of the next-generation hybrid engine technology, which combines a battery-powered electric motor with a conventional gasoline combustion engine, company representatives said on Friday on the sidelines of an industry trade meeting.

The so-called dual-mode hybrid technology that has been under development by the consortium includes an onboard fuel-optimization computer that determines when and at what speeds the two motors will be used for power and how the on-board battery will be recharged.

EDIT

DaimlerChrysler plans to use the new hybrid system in its 2008 Dodge Durango sport utility vehicle. GM will use the hybrid in versions of the Tahoe and Yukon SUVs it plans to make available at the end of 2007. BMW has not committed to a timetable for using the new engine system, but has said that it will make vehicles available with the upcoming hybrid engine system over the next three to five years.

EDIT

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/37637/story.htm

[n2doc]

1. They still don't get it

People want a regular car that gets 50-70 mpg. They don't want some behemoth that gets 20 mpg instead of 15. Or worse gets the same mileage but puts in a faster 0-60 time.

Driving an SUV today is embarassing.

[hatrack]

2. Yeah, call me crazy, but what do these sales numbers tell you?

This is from GM for July - the first percentage (third number) is YOY and final total (sixth number)for each model is the YTD sales trend.

Anybody notice anything odd here about, say, Yukons and Tahoes?


Astro
7
1,579
-99.5
351
16,130
-97.8

C/K Suburban(Chevy)
7,319
12,786
-40.5
41,572
57,567
-27.8

Chevy C/T Series
25
31
-16.1
183
157
16.6

Chevy W Series
194
178
13.3
1,703
1,604
6.2

Colorado
10,149
16,113
-34.5
55,528
91,500
-39.3

Equinox
13,002
17,571
-23.0
69,333
88,556
-21.7

Express Cutaway/G Cut
1,600
1,563
6.5
11,830
10,910
8.4

Express Panel/G Van
6,911
9,842
-27.0
51,856
54,058
-4.1

Express/G Sportvan
1,193
1,471
-15.7
11,964
14,273
-16.2

HHR
14,838
4,414
249.6
66,828
4,414
***.*

Kodiak 4/5 Series
733
989
-22.9
7,259
6,339
14.5

Kodiak 6/7/8 Series
267
328
-15.3
2,283
2,482
-8.0

S/T Blazer
5
366
-98.6
98
4,398
-97.8

S/T Pickup
0
2
***.*
4
142
-97.2

Tahoe
13,481
22,635
-38.1
98,414
104,107
-5.5

Tracker
0
14
***.*
11
457
-97.6

TrailBlazer
13,805
28,922
-50.4
105,817
147,301
-28.2

Uplander
5,819
9,278
-34.8
38,328
45,474
-15.7

Venture
6
726
-99.1
171
6,255
-97.3

Avalanche
6,713
9,812
-28.8
25,452
44,095
-42.3

Silverado-C/K Pickup
66,583
95,906
-27.8
383,752
480,134
-20.1

Chevrolet Fullsize Pickups
73,296
105,718
-27.9
409,204
524,229
-21.9

Chevrolet Total
162,650
234,526
-27.9
972,737
1,180,353
-17.6

Canyon
2,717
4,555
-38.0
13,741
24,801
-44.6

Envoy
7,673
15,168
-47.4
44,667
72,414
-38.3

GMC C/T Series
17
18
-1.8
136
130
4.6

GMC W Series
502
837
-37.6
3,042
3,706
-17.9

Safari (GMC)
1
276
-99.6
56
2,911
-98.1

Savana Panel/G Classic
1,570
2,176
-25.0
10,559
13,659
-22.7

Savana Special/G Cut
754
907
-13.5
8,405
9,645
-12.9

Savana/Rally
288
125
139.6
1,738
1,402
24.0

Sierra
22,947
31,896
-25.2
124,565
158,077
-21.2

Sonoma
0
0
***.*
0
63
***.*

Topkick 4/5 Series
573
1,966
-69.7
7,412
9,680
-23.4

Topkick 6/7/8 Series
387
427
-5.7
4,508
5,011
-10.0

Yukon
6,384
11,977
-44.6
39,324
50,392
-22.0

Yukon XL
4,272
8,389
-47.0
23,680
35,128
-32.6

GMC Total
48,085
78,717
-36.5
281,833
387,019
-27.2

http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=74&docid=27722

[endarkenment]

3. A normal car that gets somewhere in the 70 - 100mpg range.

Works for me - and works for about 90% of the market - and would convince people to replace current vehicles. WTF is wrong with these idiots?