General Motors Rivals Asian Hybrids
In the competitive world of the auto industry, staying ahead of the competition is a key to a larger market share and profits, of course. The demand in the market should also be satisfied in order to attain success. The current demand in the United States auto market is for small and fuel efficient vehicles which Asian automakers have proven to be very good at. But more recently, American automakers are also claiming stake to supremacy in that particular segment.
Toyota, Honda and Nissan have already introduced this and that hybrids in the US auto market and the United States? Big Three are just starting to introduce their own. For the 2008 model year, Japanese automaker Honda announced that they will not be producing Accord Hybrids due to lack of consumer interest. This means that a competitor has been eliminated. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler are now just coming out with a wide selection of hybrid vehicles. The only issue that is troubling for these automakers is: would their hybrids meet the same fate as the Accord Hybrid?
Two new hybrid vehicles will be offered by General Motors to the auto market for the 2008 model year. The first one, already making appearances in showrooms across the country is the Saturn Aura Green Line. The said auto model is actually a hybrid version of the reigning North American Car of the Year – the Saturn Aura sedan.
The second hybrid is the Chevrolet Malibu which is expected to hit dealerships late this fall. Both the Aura Green Line and the Malibu are hybrids, but do they have what it takes to take on Asian hybrids. Challenging the Prius is almost impossible. The most successful hybrid to date has already received many accolades for its fuel efficiency if not for its looks.
One disadvantage for the Saturn Aura Green Line, for example, is that it uses a ?mild? hybrid powertrain. What this means is that its powertrain is similar to that of a Prius but its electric motor and battery pack cannot power the Aura Green Line alone. This is also the same case for the Chevy Malibu.
According to General Motors, the two hybrid sedans will be powered by a 2. 4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine. In comparison to conventional sedans, the Ecotec engine of the Aura Green Line and the Malibu is ten percent more fuel efficient than similar four-cylinder engines. Compared to V6 engines, the powerplant of the Aura Green Line and the Malibu are 25 percent more fuel efficient.
Although there is a distinct advantage in terms of fuel efficiency compared to similarly sized engines, the Aura Green Line and the Malibu pales in comparison to the Prius in terms of fuel efficiency.
With the powertrain of the Prius designed to allow the electric motor and the battery pack to power the sedan alone, fuel economy is increased. On city driving where frequent acceleration and deceleration is common, the Prius? powertrain shows its true potential. During deceleration, the engine is shut down thus eliminating waste of fuel on idling.
Although Asian hybrids are significantly more fuel efficient than the General Motors hybrids, their presence in the market is a sign that the Detroit automaker is heeding the call for fuel efficient vehicles. Aside from the Aura Green Line and the Malibu, General Motors also offers other hybrid vehicles. One of these is the Chevrolet Tahoe which has been refined for hybrid use. Components such as the Chevrolet Tahoe add-a-leaf kit is being offered with the hybrid for better suspension system.
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