Let's get something out of the way right now. Not every vehicle we write about here is going to be as efficient as a Prius or have a plug or require pedal power. There is a huge market place of vehicles out there. None of those vehicles are for everyone. Not everyone needs or wants a Prius or a Mitsubishi iMiEV or a Chevrolet Silverado. However, in spite of rapidly falling sales of big trucks there is still a very significant need out there for such vehicles. I am in no way advocating (nor have I ever done so, in fact for many years I have done the opposite) that people should buy a Silverado or other truck for personal transportation or commuting. Having said all that, these vehicles and others all need to become more fuel efficient, for economic and environmental reasons. In a market segment that will still amount to about 1.5 million vehicles in the U.S. this year, GM is scaling back production but they are still trying to make the vehicles they sell more efficient. To that end they are introducing the both XFE and two-mode hybrid variants of the GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado for the 2009 model year. We had a chance to sample both versions on a brief drive this week and you can read about it after the jump.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

In a bid to try and salvage some sales from the rapidly deflating full size truck market, General Motors has decided to add XFE models to its big pickups and SUVs. As with the Cobalt XFE the new label is short for Xtra Fuel Economy. While the new XFE models don't come close to matching the mileage of the Two-Mode hybrid models, they do provide a boost in mileage at a much lower price point. The XFEs get a 1 mpg bump in both city and highway mileage going from 14/20 mpg to 15/21 mpg city/highway. GM has used an array of mass and drag reducing tweaks as well as a taller final drive ratio to achieve the improvement. The engine block, spare tire and wheels of the XFE models are all made from aluminum while the lowered ride height and deeper front air dam improve airflow around the vehicles. The pickups also get a standard soft tonneau cover on the bed. The XFE. The improvements may not seem like much but every little bit helps, especially for those that are actually using trucks for work purposes. On the other hand those that used to buy the trucks for personal transportation are unlikely to be swayed back.

[Source: General Motors]

The EPA has posted the official mileage numbers for the new Two-Mode hybrid variants of the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup trucks. The open bed crew-cab hybrid trucks scored the same numbers as their full bodye SUV siblings. The rear wheel drive models came in at 21/22 mpg city/hwy while the four drive models achieved 20/20 mpg. The conventional model with the same 6.0L V8 only manages 14 mpg in town and 19 on the highway in rear wheel drive form. The hardware on the pickups is the same as the existing 2008 hybrid SUVs although the powertrain engineers kept plugging away at the control software after releasing the SUVs. The updated software will also be incorporated into the upcoming Saturn Vue Two-mode and the 2009 Tahoe/Yukon.



[Source: EPA]

The automotive world will be getting a new Chevy Equinox bestowed upon it for the 2009 model year, and news from General Motors now places a 2.3L direct-injected four-cylinder engine underhood. Currently, the Equinox comes equipped with a boat-anchor of a base engine in the form of a 185-horsepower 3.4L V6 engine. Of course, there is nothing wrong with a pushrod engine, as long as its been suitably updated along the way -- which this one hasn't. The only way to get a more modern powerplant is to step up to the Sport version with its 3.6L V6 with 263 HP, mated to a nice six-speed automatic tranny. A nice combo to be sure, but a little heavy on the 'go' side for fans of fuel savings.

The Equinox will be joined in 2009 by the GMC Terrain, which replaces the Pontiac Torrent as the non-bowtie branded small CUV from GM. It likely goes without saying that the Terrain will also get the new four-cylinder engine. So far, we don't have specific details on the new engine from the General, but considering how good its 2.0 turbocharged DI engine is, we have high hopes that the 2.3 will be a worthy powerplant as well.

[Source: GM]

Click above for more images of the 2007 Chevy Silverado

We have been covering the amazing decline of the pickup truck in America over the past few months, but General Motor's recent announcement that it will be cutting truck production by some three-hundred-thousand units by next year puts quite a cap on it. The General makes a hefty profit on each full-size truck it sells, and this production cut will have a huge impact on the bottom line of America's largest automaker. Of course, GM is probably quite pleased that it's not releasing a brand new model of its full-sizer this year like some other less fortunate competitors.

In addition to the production cuts, GM CEO Rick Wagoner has also announced that the company will delay the pending redesign of its largest trucks and SUVs. The automaker intends to save a whopping $7 billion by putting off its next truck and will also cut the development of V8 engines. A few years back, nothing seemed more American than V8 engines and great pickup trucks. While nobody expects these two icons to go the way of the Dodo, it's clear that development money is now much better spent elsewhere.

[Source: GM]

GM has decided that the fuel economy of its vehicles should be the main focus in its advertising, rather than attempts to merely buff its battered brand image. Even the luxury line, Cadillac, is talking up miles per gallon in its new ads. Take the CTS, for instance. Please. It is capable of a somewhat surprising 26 mpg (on the highway, downhill, with a tailwind).

New "pump less and drive more" commercials will show the General's vehicles at the gas pump with the likes of Toyota, Ford, Mazda, and Chrysler to help try and make the point that their Pontiac, GMC, or Buick models either have better fuel economy or are capable of going farther on a fill up. GM hopes this will help slow the freefall its sales and stock price are currently experiencing. Yeah, that and $6,000 rebates (now without trade-ins!) ought to do the trick.

[Source: The Detroit News]

With five hybrid models on the market now and at least four more coming before the end of the year, General Motors' hybrid sales are looking less ugly than they did in the first three months of 2008. GM is still no threat to Toyota or even Ford, but sales have been steady (if slow) for the last couple of months. For the first time in their monthly sales report for June, GM has explicitly said how many hybrids were sold. Amidst truck sales that were down 39 percent compared to June 2007, GM declared that it sold 1,149 hybrids in June for a total of 4,376 during the first half of the year.

Out of that total, the Tahoe and Yukon Two-mode hybrids accounted for 547 sales, with the Malibu and Vue mild hybrids taking 295 and 277 respectively. A grand total of thirty buyers opted for the Saturn Aura hybrid. The last time that hybrid sales were mentioned for April, about the same number of Two-mode and mild hybrid models were sold. So far, in a market where hybrids are flying off the lots of most dealers who offer them, GM's pricey two-mode trucks and tepid mild hybrids have been also rans. It will be interesting to watch and see if the significantly cheaper Chrysler hybrid SUVs can draw more interest when they appear at dealers this summer followed by the smaller Saturn Vue Two-mode later this fall.

[Source: General Motors]

In spite of the recent announcement by General Motors that it will close the Oshawa, Ontario truck plant in 2009, the company will proceed with production of hybrid pickup trucks there this fall. GM has already installed equipment and trained assembly workers to assemble the Two-Mode hybrid GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado at the Canadian plant. GM has not changed its plans to close the plant and will likely move the new tooling to one of the remaining truck plants in the U.S. The pickups use the same hybrid system that GM already uses in the Tahoe/Yukon SUVs.

[Source: CBC, thanks to LIP for the tip!]

With sales of full size pickup trucks and SUVs shrinking far faster than even the most pessimistic industry projections one year ago, GM has decided to delay the successor to the current GMT900 models. The current generation of large trucks debuted in 2007 and were scheduled to be replaced in 2013. However the combination of a 51 percent drop in SUV sales and 24 percent drop in pickup sales along with still uncertain fuel economy rules has prompted GM to suspend development. Until new fuel economy standards have been finalized and a clearer picture of where economic conditions are headed emerges it would be foolish for GM to continue work on the next-generation models. Instead the company will cut production of current models and tweak the current designs to improve efficiency until the situation stabilizes a bit. At that point they can re-evaluate what needs to be done with the new trucks. A re-focusing away from the consumer market back to the traditional commercial markets is likely. In that case much of the gadgetry and luxury features that have been added for personal use customers will likely be eliminated and models will probably be trimmed. Volumes will likely be cut sharply as well.

[Source: Detroit News]

Click the Tahoe hybrid for a high-res gallery

There are plenty of dissenters who believe that the full-size hybrids from General Motors don't deserve any sort of green recognition at all. We can understand their argument, especially considering that the fuel mileage of these monsters is less than half that of the hybrid by which all others are judged, the Prius. Still, lets make a few comparisons. According to fueleconomy.gov, the Camry hybrid would save its driver $642 in gasoline per year compared to the standard Camry. By the same measurement, the Tahoe hybrid would save its driver $903 during those 12 months. Additionally, the Tahoe might be able to seat an entire large family (6+ people) that would need two vehicles if they were both sedans.

We are not going to suggest for even a second that the full-size SUVs from the General are the greenest cars on the road. Still, the annual fuel savings available to those who need them earns them a spot at number five on our list. Here's Number 4.

Click above for more high-res shots of the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid

It was only a few years ago that General Motors was bullish on the U.S. market for full-size, body-on-frame sport utility vehicles. Today? Not so much. These days, the bottom has fallen out of the big truck market, as even the once untouchable Ford F-150 has seen its perch atop the sales charts come to an abrupt halt. While there will always be a certain number of people who truly need the vast capabilities of the largest of trucks, that demographic is shrinking alarmingly quickly. In lieu of this fact, General Motors may begin phasing out its full-size SUVs. Because this may point to new SUVs from the General using unibody architecture, the future of family stalwarts such as the Suburban and flavor-of-the-day models such as the Cadillac Escalade are in doubt.

We don't expect GM to abandon the market totally, as sales, though down, are still strong enough to warrant the models' place on dealer lots. We do, however, expect that more fuel efficient gasoline engines, diesels and hybrids will join a lighter-weight structure as the long-term future unfolds.

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

Green Home and GMC Yukon hybrid winner Marsha Coulthard (left) with HGTV host Chi-Lan Lieu.

Perseverance paid off for Marsha Coulthard. The 43-year-old medical billing clerk and HGTV fan said she "entered almost every day" in the HGTV Green Home Giveaway 2008, which offered a new green home and a 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid as prizes. Coulthard won the house and SUV over the weekend after her name was drawn from among over 21m entries. The house is large (three bedroom, 2.5 baths in 2,000 square feet) and was certified Gold LEED for efficient design and construction. If you want to take a look around inside, check out a virtual tour of the house here. Oh, and feel free to make any comments you like about GM not being able to sell their large SUV hybrids, so they have to give them away.

[Source: HGTV]

Click the Tahoe hybrid for a high-res gallery

To go along with the advertising push that General Motors is planning on for its large hybrid SUVs is news that the automaker will increase incentives on its largest models, including its full-size hybrids for the first time ever. Current owners of a General Motors vehicle will get the largest savings, with as much as $6,000 off the price of non-hybrid Cadillac Escalades, Chevy Tahoes and GMC Yukons. Hybrid versions get a bit less off the top, coming in with $4,000 in total savings. Full-size pickups get in on the incentive game too with combined savings of up to $5,000.

Not long ago, General Motors announced that it would be cutting production of its pickup trucks and SUVs to be more in line with consumer demand. Four plants will be closed and the Hummer brand may even be put up for sale. GM is not the only automaker being hit by the slow truck market, as Ford and Dodge have trotted out incentives to move units as well. Honda, Toyota and Nissan have all shifted production from trucks to cars where possible.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Click the Tahoe hybrid for a high-res gallery

Marketing is extremely important when launching a new vehicle. The idea that you can "Build it and they will come," doesn't actually work in the real world, even when the vehicle is designed to save money at the pump. Such is the case with General Motors and its most recent hybrid vehicles: large SUVs. Despite the fact that the Tahoe and Yukon hybrids are all new and boast an extremely high-tech and well-integrated hybrid system, sales of the gas-savers stands at a mere trickle. High-cost is surely a factor, but, as experts point out, the marketing of the new vehicles has been sorely lacking.

GM's main marketing man, Mark LaNeve, agrees that the automaker could be doing a better job. "There's very little awareness that we even have these products. We're going to be constrained by battery availability, but we still think that we could work it up to 5 to 10 percent of our full-sized SUV sales." Since it began reporting hybrid sales five months ago, GM has sold 1,540 Tahoe and Yukon hybrids out of 57,818 total sales of its big SUVs. Expect to see much more advertising for these hybrids in the coming months.

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

Gas prices in excess of $4 a gallon and a collapsing market for new home construction is triggering General Motors to undertake yet another round of restructuring and plant closings. The latest victim of the rapidly changing American automotive marketplace may be perpetual green whipping boy, the HUMMER brand. General Motors has just begun a strategic review of HUMMER. Ahead of today's annual meeting GM CEO Rick Wagoner has revealed that the HUMMER could either be strengthened or disposed of going forward. GM Spokesperson Joanne Krell told us that HUMMER's lineup could be strengthened, the brand could go the way of Oldsmobile, or it may be sold "in whole or in part." "The HUMMER brand is a great brand and we're probably not maximizing it to its fullest. Perhaps somebody else would have that opportunity." GM has only just begun the review and has informed employees but no time frame has been set for completion. GM hasn't talked to any potential buyers yet, but it's not clear who would want to buy HUMMER among major automakers.

In other news from GM, the company will move beyond the already announced shift eliminations at truck plants and close four factories. The closures of the truck plants in Janesville, Wisconsin; Oshawa, Ontario; Moraine, Ohio; and Toluca, Mexico will occur by 2010, affecting 10,000 workers. Workers at those plants who are not taking advantage of the current round of buyouts will be offered transfers to other plants where available.

It's not all gloom and down down at the Tubes though. Wagoner revealed that the board of directors has approved two programs for the production. The new compact Chevrolet sedan we talked about yesterday, has been approved for a 2009 launch at the Lordstown Ohio plant and the Chevy Volt has been approved for a 2010 launch in Detroit. Thanks to Craig and Matthew for the tips!

[Sources: Chicago Tribune, General Motors]