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Hybrids Star at Detroit Auto Show

Toyota, Honda, GM all have hybrid fever

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

January 15, 2008

Toyota and Honda lead the list with General Motors not too far behind.

Honda plans three new hybrid models, two of which will be sold in the United States.

Not to be outdone, Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe promised two new hybrids next year and said he had challenged the Toyota engineers to beat the 2020 U.S. fuel standard deadline of 35 mpg for the entire Toyota fleet.

Financially troubled U.S. automakers are worried that consumers will eventually reject hybrids because of the $5,000 to $7,000 price premium the technology carries. Nevertheless, GM plans 16 new hybrids over the next four years, though most are mild hybrids that will produce only modest fuel savings.

This year GM is showing off the Saturn hybrid line led by the Vue Two Mode Hybrid. The Two Mode system claims a fuel economy increase of 50 percent over the gasoline-only V-6 Vue.

GM said consumers can expect to travel at least 500 miles on one tank of fuel in the Vue, which has a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds.

The Vue Two Mode Hybrid is powered by a 3.6-liter V-6 engine. In the first mode while traveling at a slow speed, the Vue Two Mode can operate using only battery power, the engine or both. The second mode is for maximum fuel economy at highway speeds..

GM plans to begin production of the Vue Two Mode Hybrid in the fourth quarter of the year.

With most of Detroit hesitating, Honda executives claim that for 2009 the company will deliver a new hybrid priced below the Civic hybrid, which starts at $22,600. Honda hopes to sell 200,000 of the hybrids worldwide in the first year of sales with 100,000 sales in the United States.

Honda also plans a hybrid sports car named the CR-Z which is on display at the Detroit show.

Toyota promises include lithium-ion hybrid vehicles by 2010 for its demonstration fleet as well as new hybrid Toyota and Lexus models in addition to the market leading Prius.

Toyota also plans clean-diesel V-8 versions of the Tundra pickup and Sequoia SUV within the next 24 months.

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