Click the Saturn Vue Hybrid for a high res gallery

It's no secret that General Motors' hybrid sales are nothing to brag about, especially when compared to cross-town rival Ford and, especially, cross-ocean rival Toyota. While the overall sales direction is positive, sales were most certainly negatively impacted by a problem with battery packs manufactured by Cobasys which were intended for installation in mild hybrid versions of the Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn Vue and Saturn Aura. According to reports, some nine-thousand batteries had to be recalled and replaced due to an internal leak which made the entire pack inoperable. Although the vehicles themselves would still operate, the hybrid system would not.

GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson put it well when he said, "I don't know how many hybrids we could have sold, but we would have had at least 9,000 more batteries for the pipeline." There appears to be light at the end of the tunnel, though, as Cobasys claims to have resolved the problem and Chevrolet reports that production of the 2009 Malibu hybrid is on target for June 23.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Click above to view high-res gallery of the Alfa Romeo Kamal concept

Car-obsessed Americans will get another chance at the historic Alfa Romeo brand soon enough, as the company is planning on a resurgence for the U.S. market. As is the current trend among automakers, along with the beautiful range of automobiles that the Italian marque will be bringing to our shores, it plans on offering a crossover as well. Expect something in line with BMW's current utility vehicle offerings. What's more interesting to us at AutoblogGreen, though, is a possible hybrid system snagged from Fiat, which owns Alfa. Even if the full hybrid drivetrain is left off the docket, at the very least, a mild hybrid system in the form of stop/start will almost assuredly be available.

As an aside, take a good look at the Kamal concept from 2003. Looks a bit like the Subaru Tribeca before its last redesign, wouldn't you say?

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via Autoblog]

We already mentioned PSA's plans to downsize engines in an effort to improve fuel efficiency. The French company will showcase the progress its making during PREDIT (National Program for Terrestrial Transport Innovation), which is taking place this week in Paris. PSA will show a prototype co-developed with Valeo and IFP (the teams behind the low-carbon Smart). The prototype is a Citroën C2 with a two-cylinder engine, 8 valves and a mild-hybrid system with Stop&Start and regenerative braking. This allows the sub-subcompact to use 3.8 l/100 km (62 mpg U. S.) and emit just 90 g/km of CO₂. The "regular" C2 featuring a 1.1 liter I4 engine uses 5.8 l/100 km (40.5 mpg U.S.) and produces 138 g/km of CO₂. The C2 in the gallery below is the sporty version.


[Source: Autoplus (h/t to Dominique for the tip)]

French motor magazine l'Auto Journal has published pictures of the prototype of the new C4 that is coming in 2010. Besides the new styling themes, which eliminate parallel lines, the new model is built on the same platform as the current C4 and with similar proportions. Interviewed by French newspaper Le Figaro, Christian Streiff, PSA's CEO spoke about the new technical evolutions in the new C4. There is a mild hybrid system (called a micro-hybrid) with the Stop&Start system and Streiff mentioned a full-time hybrid diesel for the mid-range models.

PSA, which is one of the world leaders in diesel powertrains, is also investing in gasoline powertrains. A downsized 3-cylinder turbo engine will be unveiled during the upcoming Paris Auto Show, along with the French marque's version of double-clutch transmission, which should be much less expensive than VW's. Check out the current model C4 in our gallery.


[Source: L'Auto Journal and Le Figaro (thanks to Dominique for the tip)]

South Korean car manufacturer, Hyundai, has announced they are entering the hybrid bus business. We already knew they are going whole-hog into hybrid cars but buses are a beast of a different stripe. This is something they seem to have realized and so are approaching this market niche from a slightly different angle by beginning with a more affordable mild hybrid architecture.

Incorporating an 8Kw electric motor, this system is centered around stop-and-go. When the bus comes to a stop, so does the engine and when the foot comes off the brake the engine is spun back up to speed. Other hybrid tricks include regenerative braking and an electric fan for engine cooling. Because it is so simple the company hopes to offer both a diesel and CNG version and estimates the final cost to its customers to be about a fifth of a full hybrid design.

The first dozen should be delivered by the end of this month for real-world testing and the plan is to begin mass production by the end of 2009. It hasn't closed the door on a more efficient full hybrid either. Development work on that model should be completed by the middle of the summer with delivery to test fleets happening some time this Fall. Read the official press release after the jump.

Click for high-res gallery

Most of our readers might not know SsangYong except that one of its models, the SUT, is used as the basis of the Phoenix Motorcars electric vehicles. Well, SsangYong has released more information about their new hybrid powertrain. During the Geneva Motor Show, the Korean marque didn't show a complete car but a model of the powertrain, which could be added to their current lineup of diesel engines (some of Mercedes origin). The pack meets the Euro IV norms and adds 30 kW (40 HP) to a standard diesel powertrain. The electric part of the powertrain uses a 340 V battery which is mated to a mild hybrid system that allows the engine to shut off at stops and supply power when accelerating.

SsangYong announced that fuel savings will be around 25 percent, with a NOx reduction of 10 percent. When will all this be available? SsangYong said 2010.


[Source: Autoblog en español]

Click to enlarge

In mid-2006, General Motors released their first mainstream hybrid vehicle with first Saturn Vue Green Line. Prior to that the company had offered a mild hybrid system in the Silverado pickup but since that was really only offered in limited volumes to fleet and commercial buyers, we'll skip that one. The system in the Vue was dubbed the GM Hybrid system but it's more commonly called the belted-alternator-starter (BAS) system. Since the first Vue, the BAS system has been added to the Saturn Aura and Chevy Malibu as well as the redesigned 2008 Vue.

Last fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show GM showed a concept Opel Corsa with an updated version of the BAS system. At the time GM declined to give any details of the system other than the fact it had a lithium ion battery. At the Geneva Motor Show today, GM Chairman Rick Wagoner is announcing that the next-generation GM Hybrid system will go into production in 2010. More importantly, the upgrades to the system will make it more suitable for a much larger range of applications and production of the system will be increased dramatically. Learn more about the second generation of GM's mild hybrid system after the jump.


[Source: General Motors]

Mercedes-Benz has shown a handful of different models with their new mild hybrid system as auto show concepts over the past six months. This morning they finally announced official production plans for the first of those, the new S400 BlueHybrid. The S400 uses Mercedes 3.5L V-6 gas engine combined with the 15kW electric motor/generator. Unless someone else jumps in first, the S400 will be the first production automotive hybrid in the world to use a lithium ion battery. On the concepts shown last fall the battery was actually small enough to be mounted under-hood so that it doesn't intrude on trunk space. One of the advantages of the under-hood installation is that the engineers have been able to integrate the battery with the vehicle climate control system to regulate its temperature ensuring optimal performance.

On the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) which combines city and highway driving, the big S400 manages 29.8mpg (U.S.) which is pretty impressive for a vehicle of this type with a gas engine. The S400 BlueHybrid will be launching in calendar 2009 in both North America and Europe along with the ML450 hybrid. The ML450 also uses the 3.5L V-6 but it's combined with the two-mode hybrid system. More Mercedes models using the mild hybrid will be launched eventually as well including diesel hybrids. The Mercedes-Benz press release is after the jump.

Mercedes-Benz debuted the new GLK compact SUV at the Detroit Auto Show in January with a 2.2L four-cylinder Bluetec diesel. For its European coming out party in Geneva, the company will reportedly fit the GLK with a diesel-hybrid powertrain. According to Automotive News, the concept will use a 204 hp 3.2L diesel V6 with a 20 hp electric motor. The motor's size implies that this is the mild hybrid system that Mercedes developed with BMW. It seems more likely Mercedes will use the same 2.2L four cylinder that was shown in Detroit. The mild hybrid system is expected to debut on production vehicles in 2009, although at this point, it's unknown when diesel hybrids will launch.


[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]

Click the BMW X5 concept for a high res gallery

After having information leaked yesterday, BMW has now officially released the details surrounding its Geneva Motor Show concept, the Vision EfficientDynamics. The X5-based concept does indeed combine the 204hp 2.0L twin-turbo diesel from the 123d with a mild hybrid system. The hybrid setup uses a 15kW motor and a lithium-ion battery pack to yield a total output of 221hp. The engine/motor output is routed to all four wheels through a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and BMW's xDrive torque vectoring all-wheel-drive. Regenerative braking charges the battery, which is then used to help power electrical systems on the vehicle, reducing parasitic losses. Further savings are achieved through a 1-square-meter solar panel on the roof that preheats the transmission fluid, reducing friction during a cold start. After startup, the solar panel also helps power accessories, particularly during idle auto-stop conditions. Along with some aerodynamic tweaks, the concept achieves 36mpg (U.S.) on the EU combined cycle. Carbon dioxide emissions come in at 172g/km while 0-62mph acceleration of the 5,000 lb. X5 comes in at a respectable 8.9 seconds. The mild hybrid system developed in cooperation with Daimler may appear in production BMWs in 2009, although it's unknown if this particular combination will get built.


[Source: BMW]

General Motors has been working aggressively toward electrifying the power-trains in their future vehicles and toward that end they are making some changes in their engineering organization. Robert Kruse has been put in charge of a new global vehicle engineering organization responsible for all hybrid and electrically-driven vehicles. Under Kruse's direction there will be a North American team operating out the Warren Tech Center and Milford Proving Ground, a European Team from Mainz-Kastel, Germany and an Asian team in Shanghai, China. Work on both the mild and two-mode hybrid systems as well as E-flex applications will be coordinated through the new organization. It's not entirely clear how this changes anything but we'll be following up with GM.

[Source: General Motors]

If you were hoping to get your hands on one of the new Chevy Malibu hybrids and you live outside of California or the Northeast states, you may have to wait a while. At launch, the mild hybrid system will be in short supply and GM wants to focus on the markets where hybrids are most popular. It may take until the 2009 model year before the Malibu hybrid is available nationwide.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Earlier this year at the Shanghai Motor Show, General Motors showed off a hybrid version of the Chinese market Buick LaCrosse. The car was powered by GM's mild hybrid belt-alternator-starter system matched to a 2.4L four cylinder engine. General Motors will now start building the BAS LaCrosse at their Shanghai joint-venture plant in the first half of 2008 and put them on sale before the Olympic Games in Beijing. So far hybrid sales have been poor in China due to relatively low gas prices and high costs of the vehicles. However with Chinese gas taxes set to rise dramatically, the relatively low cost BAS system could prove popular for GM.

[Source: Reuters]

Dubai may sit on some of the biggest oil deposits in the world, but that doesn't mean that they don't want to make them last a little longer by using less locally. To that end, the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will be working with GM to start testing a fleet of Chevy Tahoe and Malibu hybrids for use as limos and taxis in the Persian Gulf emirate. For one year starting in January, the hybrids will be evaluated in service around Dubai to validate the durability for the application. If the program works out, the Dubai RTA may switch over their entire fleet beginning in early 2009.

[Source: General Motors]