Outspoken GM vice chairman Bob Lutz turned 78 on Friday and as usual had something to say when he met with reporters in Florida.
He admitted that GM loses and will always continue to lose money on hybrids, including it seems the Volt when it comes to market.
“GM will lose money […]

Posted on February 15th, 2010 by Lyle
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Aside from the Chevy Volt which it could be argued isn’t a hybrid, GM has not released any public plans to produce a strong hybrid sedan.
At present the company produces 2-mode hybrid trucks including the Tahoe, Escalade, and Sierra models.  These vehicles have a 25% higher fuel efficiency than their […]

Posted on February 10th, 2010 by Lyle
Filed under: Cadillac, Hybrid | Comments Off

It was only a matter of time.
On Tuesday the Japanese automaker officially issued a recall of the 2010 3rd generation Prius hybrid for a braking flaw.
A software glitch mishandles the switch between regenerative and friction braking when anti-lock brakes (ABS) are also being activated, leading to a perceived loss of […]

Posted on February 9th, 2010 by Lyle
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By Pete Savagian
Hybrid Powertrain Systems Engineering Director
Today we announced a $246 million investment and to me it’s more than just another big dollar figure from an automotive company. It’s an investment in people, jobs, knowledge and our future.
The $246 million investment will fund GM’s expansion of in-house electric vehicle development capabilities and make us the […]

Posted on January 26th, 2010 by Will Stewart
Filed under: Chevy, Hybrid | Comments Off

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Cadillac, GM, Luxury

Let’s just call this one the Cadillac XTS Platinum “Concept.” For reals y’all, this is one of, if not the most production ready “concepts” we’ve ever seen. For its part, Cadillac stuck to the “It’s just a concept” mantra. Though they might as well have all been nodding, elbowing and winking. If When the new XTS sees production it, will replace both the STS and the DTS.

For you tech geeks out there, this new Caddy is fairly intriguing. The all-wheel-drive powertrain is motivated by a plug-in two-mode hybrid consisting of the brand’s 3.6-liter direct-injected V6 coupled to an electric motor. Cadillac was tight-lipped on the power rating, hemming and hawing before saying “around 350 horsepower.”

That may not sound like buckets of oomph, but when compared to the Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid - the XTS’s probable direct competitor - makes 295 hp. The XTS theoretically makes 295 pound-feet of torque, too. For those of you not geeked on the hybrid bandwagon, Cadillac’s general manager Bryan Nesbitt posed an interesting hypothetical question, “Is the largest displacement engine the only symbol of luxury?”

As for the XTS itself, it looks like a big Cadillac., which if you stop and think about is is a good thing. Cadillacs should be big, and this sucker is large - within a couple of inches of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, according to both Caddy and our highly unscientific eyeball-based measuring system. We also thought the XTS was significantly better looking in person than in the preview pictures that broke last night. Supposedly there are lots of design cues borrowed from Cadillac’s legendary Sixteen Concept, but aside from the grille we’re not seeing it.

The XTS has its own mojo going on, especially when it comes to the interior. Here’s where the Platinum part comes in. Nesbitt explained that Cadillac intends the XTS Platinum to be a “personal headquarters.” We’re not going to buy into the CEO and wannabe CEO pandering, but lordy is the interior fabulous. Featuring intricate laser-perforated stitching on the leather and synthetic-suede bits with sharp looking burled wood covering everything else, we have to say that with the exception of the Bentley Mulsanne, the XTS Platinum Concept has the best interior at the show. Call it the Cadillac of interiors. Video of the live reveal is available after the jump.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Detroit 2010: Cadillac XTS Platinum concept is anything but [w/VIDEO]

Detroit 2010: Cadillac XTS Platinum concept is anything but [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted on January 12th, 2010 by Jonny Lieberman
Filed under: Cadillac, Hybrid | Comments Off

Toyota long renowned for its quality has been facing some significant issues lately.
Last year they had to recall a world record 3.8 million vehicles due to faulty floor mats that caused accelerators to become stuck, leading to accidents.
Now there are reports that the much lauded third generation Prius hybrid is having some brake problems.
At least […]

Posted on January 2nd, 2010 by Lyle
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Toyota’ success with its Prius hybrid has been noyable.
The car has long passed a million sales worldwide, racking up over 10,000 sales in the US in November alone.
Indeed Toyota’s achievements with the car played a significant role in inspiring Bob Lutz to push for GM to build the Volt and share some of the Japanese […]

Posted on December 27th, 2009 by Lyle
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We are well aware GM is developing and launching the Chevy Volt.
They also possess  non-plugin hybrid technology.  The mild hybrid version of the Malibu didn’t fare too well as it added little fuel efficiency, and was discontinued.  A next -generation version of this technology using lithium-ion batteries is set to appear next year likely in the new Buick Regal.
The automaker also has […]

Posted on December 18th, 2009 by Lyle
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Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Buick

Last night, General Motors publicly unveiled the 2011 Buick Regal that goes on sale in North America in the first half of next year. The Regal will be Buick’s new mid-sized sedan entry and is essentially just a re-grilled version of the Opel Insignia that went on sale in Europe last year. The North American Regal will be built at the Oshawa Ontario assembly plant in Canada beginning in calendar 2011 and will only be offered with a choice of direct-injected four-cylinder engines. However, the Regal is actually slated to go on sale in calendar 2010, and some are suggesting that the sedan will be sourced from Germany for 12 to 15 months.

The base engine will be the 2.4-liter normally aspirated unit that debuted earlier this year in the Chevrolet Equinox, among other models. With a six-speed automatic transmission, the Regal should hit 30+ mpg on the highway. The optional unit will be a 220-hp version of the 2.0-liter turbo, but that powertrain likely won’t come on-line right away.

Earlier this year, documents were leaked that listed the Oshawa plant as building a new mid-size hybrid sedan in 2011. It looks like the Regal will be that car with GM’s new second generation mild hybrid system that was announced in 2008. The new system uses a more powerful motor/generator and a lithium ion battery. According to Ward’s Auto World, the Regal could also get GM’s plug-in two mode hybrid system, but that likely won’t appear before late 2011 at the earliest.

[Sources: Ward’s Auto World - sub req’d | GM-Volt.com]

Buick Regal likely to be launch platform for next GM hybrid system originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Posted on November 13th, 2009 by Sam Abuelsamid
Filed under: Buick, Hybrid | Comments Off

GM is set to launch a brand new version of its classic Buick Regal sedan.
Discontinued in 2004, the new Regal is a rebadged and slightly redesigned version of the Opel Insignia which is already popular in Europe.  The new Regal which will begin selling next year in the US as a 2011 model will initially […]

Posted on November 13th, 2009 by Lyle
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