Small cars are hip and green. Pickups, sport utilities, and crossovers are rugged. But could they be green as well?General Motors Corp. answers on the affirmative. The automaker’s Chevy brand will be unleashing the 2008 Tahoe Hybrid that is expected to bolster its lead as the most fuel-efficient large SUV on the market. The hybrid SUV has debuted this fall.
The largest American automaker has this to say: “The 2-Mode Hybrid, Chevrolet says, will deliver 21 mpg in city driving, a boost of 50 percent over the standard Tahoe with a gas-only 5.3-liter V-8. In highway driving the Tahoe Hybrid will get 30% better fuel economy than the conventional Tahoe.”
The 2-mode system is expected to make its way into most of GM's full-size truck lineup, but the basic idea is scalable to vehicles of most any size, GM added.
The new Tahoe Hybrid is being showcased at this year’s Los Angeles auto show, alongside the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen hybrids. The producer of Chrysler radiator and Dodge hood protector also features a 2-mode hybrid system engineered in a joint venture between BMW, Chrysler, Daimler, and GM.
The Tahoe Hybrid's dual action is actually a series of different driving modes programmed between its transmission, engine, and battery pack and motors. In the first mode, the Tahoe can run on either its electric power or its gasoline power or both. In mode two, the Tahoe uses electric power as an assist to its V-8 engine - in passing, towing, and climbing, for example. The engine is also outfitted with cylinder deactivation technology, which operates in the second mode to help dampen fuel consumption.
With the two-mode system the Tahoe still delivers a maximum tow rating of 6200 pounds and eight-passenger seating. Its stock body is largely intact, though Hybrid models are about a third of an inch lower in ride height. The hood and tailgate are made of aluminum to save weight. And the Tahoe's body has been tweaked to allow for better aerodynamics.