Click on the image for a high-res gallery of the Two-Mode Hybrid GM SUVs

Back in 2004 General Motors first announced plans to partner with DaimlerChrysler and later also BMW to develop a full parallel hybrid drivetrain system. This system, referred to as the Two-Mode hybrid, was adapted from a system developed by GM's Allison transmission division for use on transit buses. Subsequently the three companies opened a joint development center in Troy, MI in 2006 and all three companies have applications planned although only GM and Chrysler have announced specific vehicles. BMW has yet to announce a specific vehicle and likely won't introduce their first application until 2009 or 2010. Early in 2008, Chrysler will release a version of the Dodge Durango/Chrysler Aspen equipped with the Two-Mode system and sometime after that Mercedes is expected to bring forth a hybrid ML class, possibly also equipped with a BlueTec Diesel.

General Motors has announced three vehicles that will get the new system, with the Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon being the first one coming this fall. A few months after that the Cadillac Escalade picks up the extra hardware, followed by the Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra pickups and finally the Saturn Vue/Chevy Equinox. The smaller crossovers will be the first application with a transverse drivetrain in both front and all wheel drive configurations. The GMT900 platform vehicles will also be in available in both rear and all-wheel drive hybrid configurations. With the Tahoe/Yukon hybrids due to come off the Arlington, TX assembly lines in just a few months, GM felt it was time to invite some media to their Milford Proving Ground to sample the new system for the first time.

Continue reading about the first drive in these new hybrids after the jump.

click the photo to see high-resolution shots of the E85 Escape Hybrid

Not content to let the unveiling of the hydrogen Ford Edge with plug-in capability take up all of Ford's media space today, the company also announced that 20 demonstration E85-capable Escape Hybrids will be sent to six U.S. States for testing, starting this spring. Ford says the Escape Hybrid E85 is the "world's first hybrid vehicle capable of operating on blends of fuel containing as much as 85 percent ethanol," but other companies are working on ethanol hybrids (Saab comes immediately to mind, and their BioPower concept can use E100).

Putting E85 in the tank of an Escape Hybrid E85 means the SUV produces about a quarter less carbon dioxide emissions than a gasoline-fueled Escape Hybrid. Ford isn't saying which states will get the Escapes, but the press release (which you can read after the jump) makes mention of the Midwest, so perhaps that's a clue to where these SUVs are headed.



[Source: Ford]

Mazda already has the hydrogen RX-8 and Mazda5, but the crown jewel of Mazda's environmentally better line-up may just be the brand-spanking new 2008 Mazda Tribute hybrid SUV. The hybrid is based on the current Tribute (which starts at $20,705) and we'll have to wait until closer to the new Tribute's release date sometime in the middle of the year to find out what the hybrid powertrain will add to the cost. While we wait, let's go over the few things we know today. Number one: the Tribute is a full hybrid, and will be able to go 25 mph on battery power alone in most circumstances, so when you're driving through the city all the ELF should leave you alone (to be fair, ELF attacks empty SUVs on dealer lots, not occupied vehicles on the road).

The Tribute will meet CARB's AT-PZEV rating "by achieving Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle II (SULEVII) standards, plus zero evaporative emissions standards – the strictest emission regulations a gasoline-fueled vehicle can meet." This clean level is achieved by a 2.3-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with Atkinson-cycle combustion that produces 133 horsepower at 6,000 rpm along with a 70-kWatt (equivalent to 94 horsepower) electric traction motor. The battery pack is a 330-volt nickel-metal-hydride located at the rear load floor. The generator-motor recharges the battery pack, starts up the engine and regulates how the two propulsion channels work together in the transaxle. Mazda claims that transitions between propulsion types will be seamless. We'll see once we get our hands on one.

There will be two trim levels for the Tribute, and you'll have your typical safety features. One nice added touch: an onboard tire pressure monitoring system will be standard.

Read the full Mazda press release after the jump and click on any of the pictures in this post to see a gallery of high-resolution, 1,280-pixel-wide photos of the Tribute.



Click here to see the rest of AutoblogGreen's Detroit Auto Show Coverage.

[Source: Mazda]

Looking for a ride in one of America’s larger cities and want to do at least a little bit to help the environment? Try to hail one of the increasing number of hybrid taxies (seen here all glossied up for New York International Auto Show). According to Technoride, 31 Ford Escape SUV hybrids prowl the streets of San Francisco and Chicago and New York offer hybrid taxis as well. The costs and benefits of a hybrid get emphasized real quick when the car does taxi duty, as the lower fuel usage saves the driver money sooner but the expensive batteries will need replacing sooner, as well. Taxis are on the road far more often than most individual’s car, so seeing some of them go green is a relief. It’s also encouraging to read that some customers tip better when they’re in a hybrid taxi. People will pay to save this planet, one ride at a time. [Source: Joel A, I mean Technoride]