In the latest Automotive news, and online for those of you with passwords to their site....

I saw an article called FUTURE PRODUCTS -- GENERAL MOTORS

It is mostly talking about the VOLT concept, but early in the article it lists the Cobalt and HHR as the global platforms for the hybrid powertrain in 2010 to 2012


sounds good to me with the way gas prices are going! I sure am glad I traded in my truck for the HHR before gas passed $2.50!

 

oops, I guess the link didnt work on the first try
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...egory=FPRODUCT

 

I couldn`t get in without signing up, but a hybrid HHR wouldn`t be a bad idea.
I think americans were raised with the expectation of sound and power, and the idea of a veh. without a rumble is something we just can`t/haven`t warmed up to.
I can remember the gas lines of the 70`s. That was the time to introduce electric, but the technology wasn`t ready, so here we are, lining up again, this time at the ATM.

 

I'll never drive a hybrid! Screw electricity while there is still gas left on this earth. How fast does the fastest hybrid go? Like 70-75 MPH max?

 

Captain - Hybrids aren't my cup of tea either, but GM's new e-flex system is worth reading about. How about this for performance:

"The Volt accelerates from a dead stop to 60 mph in less than 8.5 seconds (the EV1 took about a second longer), and has a top speed of 120 mph. (The EV1 would barely reach 80 mph.)"

Now keep in mind - this thing has a 1.0L engine!!!!! You can read about it here:

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=119088

The Chevy Volt is, in my opinion, the most impressive "hybrid" to date as it throws the typical hybrid technology out the window. A Prius? EPA estimates 55mpg combined. The Volt's system? 100mpg.

So, 0-60 in 8.5, 120mph top speed, and 100mpg. Sounds good. Now if they can put that tech into an HHR we would be living in a perfect world.

 

Not bad I guess. One of the things that trips me out about hybrids is that companies are always fast to point out how much you can save on gas but fail to mention how much it cost to replace a battery cell when it can no longer hold a charge.

 

Captain - Exactly!

Battery technology has to get better and cheaper. At the bottom of the article I linked to there is a section that details all the reasons why e-flex (and one would presume all hybrid technologies) are being held back by battery development.

My brother, a mechanic, was working at a Ford Dealership when the Escape Hybrid was released. There were stickers all over the thing explaining the varied ways you'd die if you tried to service the batteries! A slight exageration, but it is true that you would have to save A LOT of fuel to pay for the higher initial cost as well as future battery replacement.

 

im not a major tree hugger but the hybrid is definitly the way of the future. befor i bought my hhr i was looking into a prius also and most of the hybrids have a 10 yr warranty on the batts with a repl cost of about 2500 dollars. there was a taxi driver who had an 01 prius with over 300k m and it still ran strong when toyota traded him out of it so they could take a look at one with real world milage on it. i view hybrid as a good thing.

 

I would definitely be ready to trade my lady for a hybrid by then - I'd keep the theme going - she's not built for speed nor does she want to fly by too fast for all to enjoy her finery...