GM Hybrids Update
I got a chance to meet with a few executives at GM involved with their hybrids programs afternoon. While these meetings seemed rather choreographed, I did manage to glean some interesting information from them.
Micky Bly, GM Director Global Hybrids
I had a great conversation with Micky about weather GM’s hybrid program has been a success. We touched on a few points that I think are informational:
- Leadership - It’s clear that GM wants to be a leader in Hybrids (and FlexFuels, PHEVs, and whatever other technologies are viable). He noted that all of GMs prescribed production runs have been sold out. The issue, however, is that these products are not being sold in volume. He did admit that suppliers are stretched to the limit, but are making deliveries. I wasn’t able to get any numbers out of Micky (no surprises there). But their high-profile models - Saturn Vue Greenline, Tahoe Hybrid, Malibu Hybrid - continue to be listed on their corporate website as having “limited availability”. I should expect that given the direct incursions of Toyota on their territory (pick-ups, cross-overs) that they would tout their market success of their hybrids. But they’re not - they report no sales figures (yet). The bottom line is that while GM’s intention is to be a leader, it currently does not have a record of leadership (or at least gains) in this segment.
- Phased roll-out: Micky admitted to me that GM has plans for 8 hybrids to be released by the end of the year (they currently have 5 - Vue, Aura, Malibu, Tahoe, Yukon? - not sure if that’s the fifth or the 2-Mode Vue). This means that they have another three annoucements through the remainder of the year. Their plans, however, is to continue to announce a new hybrid model on a quarterly basis. While that might sound a bit measured, it makes sense from the standpoint of building out a supply base. This should give their suppliers the opportunity to scale production and manage the roll-out in an organized manner. That’s good for consumers too.
Marty Hogan, Vehicle Chief Engineer, Saturn Vue
Marty had a similar upbeat attitude about the Saturn Vue’s future. There were three big take-aways from this conversation:
- All options on the table - The Vue is an interesting case in that they have announced all types power trains - V6, Hybrid, 2-Mode Hybrid, PHEV. The Vue, then, seems to have a great platform upon which to develop these technologies. That means extra pressure on Marty and his team to continue to make new options viable.
- Underweighting opportunities - While improving the mass of the vehicle isn’t a primary concern, Marty did note that there are still lots of opportunities for accomplishing this task. Many they have taken advantage of - light metals like Aluminum and Magnesium in specific applications. But as new material options become available for say, seats, or noise management materials they should be able to create some additional value.
- Fuel use at a max - Interestingly, Marty seemed to also indicate that there’s not a whole lot of means for getting additional energy just out of a traditional gasoline engine. He noted that there’s a lot of efficiency that can be gotten out of integrating engine system controls such as those found on the two-mode hybrid system. A PHEV Vue is also an interesting development. But at the moment, every new development from here on out will be a new feat of engineering - not an incremental one of yesteryear.
