Hybrid Vehicles are In General Motor's Future May 2005

Some of the full-size sport-utility vehicles that will be built at the General Motors plant in Janesville will be powered by gasoline-electric hybrid engines.

GM already has added electric motors to some Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, but they are not true, full hybrids.

Rather than propelling the trucks fully or boosting acceleration in conjunction with gasoline engines, the electric motors in GM pickups so far restart the trucks when they automatically shut off when stopped. The automatic shutoff saves gas and reduces emissions.

Fuel savings so far have been about 10 percent, or 1.5 miles per gallon, for the V8 trucks.

GM recently announced, though, that it is preparing to introduce a two-mode full-hybrid system in its redesigned Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon SUVs in 2007 and full-size pickups in 2008.

The Janesville plant will make both Tahoes and Yukons.

Two-mode means electric motors not only start the vehicles but also will boost power when passing and at highway speeds. Most of today's hybrids generally use gas only at highways speeds.

Today's GM hybrid pickups are more efficient because of the engine start/stop function and regenerative braking, which turns the electric motor into a generator as the truck decelerates. Gas is saved by quickly shutting off fuel any time the truck is coasting or braking and using the electric motor to smooth out any resulting vibrations.

At a stoplight, the gas engine stops running, but the accessories continue working on stored electrical power. When the driver releases the brake, the gasoline engine kicks in again with little or no delay or disturbance.

SOURCE: Gazette Extra

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