GM likely to launch plug-in hybrid
General Motors Corp. will likely unveil a
prototype plug-in hybrid at the North American International Auto Show in
Detroit in January, a local paper reported on Friday.The advanced technology
vehicle would have an extended driving range on battery power and would also
have a diesel or gasoline engine that could power the car when the battery was
low.
2005 GM/Opel, 59mpg diesel-hybrid, never produced!
General Motors Corp. will likely unveil a prototype plug-in hybrid at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January, a local paper reported on Friday.The advanced technology vehicle would have an extended driving range on battery power and would also have a diesel or gasoline engine that could power the car when the battery was low, the Detroit News said, citing unnamed GM officials.
Plug-in hybrids are gas-electric vehicles that can recharge their batteries with an extension cord and a normal wall outlet.
GM, which is trying to recover from a $10.6 billion loss in 2005 and stop a slide in U.S. market share, has been criticized for relying heavily on gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles. This year, it has also drawn sharp criticism for its decision to kill its EV1 electric car program.
The automaker eventually collected and destroyed almost all of the 1,000 EV1 cars, prompting the making of a documentary titled “Who Killed the Electric Car?”
In an interview with Motor Trend published in July, GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said killing the $1 billion EV1 program was his worst decision. He said it did not affect the automaker’s profitability, but did hurt its image.
Let’s hope GM ventures out into the marketplace, this time. They killed the EV1. They never went into production with the Astra pictured at the top of the page. GM is capable of building a competitive vehicle — if they have the courage and smarts to do so.
Posted: Fri - November 10, 2006 at 01:43 PM