Saturn Vue two-mode dead, Chevrolet Equinox hybrid unlikely to hit until 2011

I can't blame GM for not wanting to give Penske's Saturn their best hybrid. The delay in the Equinox hybrid is probably due to GM's unwillingness to divert people from the Volt program to redesign the Vue's 2-mode system for the new engines in the Equinox.

I suspect the Aura hybrid will also be cancelled as it has not been mentioned in Saturn's sales agreements with Penske.

In other GM hybrid news, the Malibu hybrid has also been cancelled: GM to drop Malibu Hybrid for 2010

 

Some of us had a chance to test drive the Saturn VUE two-mode in January and it is a nice, small or CRV style vehicle. However, I felt the engine was too large ... unless you are going after the 'tow a boat' crowd.

We had an interesting and informative discussion with one of the engineers but we'll cover that another day. But I will share that he was faced with decisions by upper management that showed in January 2009, they believed:

• hybrids are 'for show' - the management at that time could not conceive of any other reason than 'bragging rights' for anyone to buy a hybrid or any 'green' vehicle

There are some very bright and skilled engineers in the old GM led off a cliff by some management whom I have no respect for.

Bob Wilson

 

General Motors Corp. has pulled the plug the hybrid-electric version of the Chevrolet Malibu sedan for the 2010 model year due to slow sales that has led to a backlog of inventory of the vehicles on dealer lots.


A GM spokesman said the company made the decision because of a "sufficient stock of 2009s," and said starting up production in the near future is "possible, but not likely." The company will continue to make hybrid versions of the Malibu for fleet buyers, but it is uncertain if GM will ever produce the Malibu hybrid for retail consumers ever again.

 

They made very few of them but do to dealers insisting on MSRP most of the time they also sold very few.

I did inquire into price for a friend, the additude was "its MSRP because its a hybrid". So the hybrid premium for the Malibu was much higher as the standard one was easy to get $2000 off.

They needed to kill it or give it a six speed trans, the non hybrid six speed essentially gets the same highway mpg.

 

I don't think Fritz Henderson has a clue (or he doesn't care)

GM-Volt.com Exclusive: Video Interview with GM CEO Fritz Henderson | GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Electric Car Site

 

The Malibu Hybrid wasn't sold in all markets so in much of the country it was never available at all. On the GM.com Hybrid page the fine print says:

"Select markets include the following cities: Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Phoenix, Boston, Sacramento."

GM | Hybrid Cars, SUVs & Trucks - Hybrid Technology

 

"Creep me out" interview. At 2:40 into the video, GM's new leader (is that who he is?) Mr Henderson says, "there's no reason the markets shouldn't bounce back". Um, what about ever increasing fossil fuel demands, even as cheep oil supplies (purchased from countries that are filled with extreamists, that want to wipe us out) fade away ... coupled with astronomical national debt ?? No reason? Wow. Call me out to lunch. Was he joking?

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The old GM management dictated hybrids with these characteristics:

• weak 'auto-stop' - thinking that idle fuel burn was the secret, they reworked a heavy-duty alternator into a motor generator and a small battery pack and called it "hybrid" and the market shrugged its shoulders.
• over-engined, two-mode - unable to understand economy, they put massive, oversized engines in their two-mode hybrids as if calling a vehicle "hybrid" was enough and the market shrugged its shoulders.
• "hybrid" door banner - they thought painting the text "hybrid" on the vehicle was all it took and the market shrugged its shoulders.

The old GM management was tone-deaf, totally disconnected from the reality of peak oil and dumbfounded by the Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, and Ford Escape Hybrid. The old GM management product solutions were not engineered as much as directed with the same skill that crushed the EV1. Small wonder there is an unsold inventory of old GM hybrids.

It will take the time, perhaps a 18-24 months, for the surviving, former GM engineers to 'clean house.' One thing I know for sure, they have the talent. What I don't know is if their new managers will let them 'do the right thing.' Meanwhile, there are all of these left-overs.

Bob Wilson

 

The Malibu hybrid didn't make any sense since it wasn't noticeably more fuel efficient than the base model or compared to other sedans. As Bob says, GM's approach to hybrids has been all wrong. They have not taken this sort of thing seriously with bottom up design objectives that made sense.

The problem with any re-org is that once poor management settles in, they stay until the very end. It's the bulk of the technical talent that either leaves for greener pastures or gets the axe. Top down re-orgs that work take some visionary types that are willing to slog through the tough times with a clear long term objective. To do that requires throwing a lot of deadweight/old style management off the bus and bringing in new folks that have the temperament and talent to make it work.

Having to start over every few years is a disaster. Rather than building upon what they've done and applying the lessons, they start over on another dubious plan.

 

I'm losing track, but I thought the new CEO was to be Whitacre, the doofus who used to run AT&T and started the whole net-neutrality debate by saying he wasn't going to let google use his pipes for free, completely ignoring the fact that except for a few wireless freeloaders, everybody pays for their internet access. I can see it now: the volt won't charge from any electric company which doesn't pay GM for charging its cars.

 

Bob, I truly hope that GM does come out of bankruptcy a renewed, invigorated company.

I really like the looks of new 2010 Equinox and hope that they do offer a hybrid version that is capable of achieving real-world, combined gas mileage in the mid 30s. That would represent a 40% increase in gas mileage over the '10 model, 4-cylinder model. Which, by the way, gets very respectable mileage as compared to its competitors (RAV4, CR-V).

I would like to throw my support to GM by buying one of their vehicles. But, given the short-sided and arrogant attitude of GM management, causes me to question whether they've earned my trust.

 

GM spent years and ad dollars to convince it's buying public that hybrids were the last thing on Earth any sane GM customer should want.

I toast their success, on the way to oblivion. :tea:

 

GM hybrids just don't get good enough gas mileage compared to other hybrids. That's their misjudgement, and undoubtedly why they are being dropped. I expect there will be some new GM hybrids with better gas mileage to compete with Ford and Toyota hybrids.

 

I think they should check the gm offices, someone is piping in stupidy gas. If this is the new GM they might as well file bankruptcy now and not waste time.

 

I am glad to see that the Internet connection in your bomb shelter is working properly. Yes, the world is in bad shape due to poor management by wealthy people who should know better, they are the cream of our society you know. The U.S. looks like an old maid that has cleaned way to many houses and her to do list is still growing. As a manager you must talk about positive things instead of all the negative things that are happening now, or may happen in the future.

 

I will be positive when something is positive. The previous mgt ran it into the ground and now the current mgt is on the same track. If they think the 40000 volt is the answer they are crazy. People can't affort the exsisting prices let alone 40k.