AFSCME 3357-HOF'S BLOG

GM Gets Praise for New Products, Especially Hybrids
Hybrid SUVs and Flex platform are Big Deals
Time magazine this week joined a chorus of praise for GM's recent and upcoming new products. Later this year, General Motors is expected to introduce a "two-mode" hybrid version of the GMC Yukon full-size SUV. The all-new hybrid system is reported to deliver (2008 scale) EPA ratings of 20 city and 22 highway, about a 40% increase in fuel economy. At the same time, the truck still has V-8 performance and can tow 6,000 lbs. The new Yukon comes hot on the heels of a redesigned Cadillac CTS that has received rave reviews and last year's hits, the Enclave/Outlook/Acadia 3-row crossover SUVs. Next on deck is a redesigned Chevrolet Malibu (and a freshened Pontiac G6) and a redesigned Pontiac Vibe.

The big hype will come in 2009 when the Chevrolet Volt is scheduled to appear. The Volt is a plug-in hybrid that uses lithium batteries. Even more radical is that the Volt will be the first car built on a new architecture, the Flex or E-Flex platform that can accommodate almost any power source, from batteries, to hybrid, to hydrogen fuel cell. Opel, GM's European division, even came up with a concept car called the Flextreme that craps Segways.

Judging from future product plans, GM is taking a "it ain't over till the fat lady sings" approach. Chrysler and Ford seem to be auditioning big women wearing viking helmets.