By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com
November 9, 2007
General Motors Corp is showing off the largest and most powerful green machine in the world at the South Florida International Auto Show in Miami.
The luxurious V-8 powered 2009 Cadillac Escalade hybrid is not only an eye catcher, GM promises the opulent SUV will produce a 50 percent increase in fuel economy in the city, jumping from 12 miles per gallon to almost 20.
The hybrid Escalade is scheduled to go on sale at Cadillac dealerships next summer.
GM is yet to announce a price for the humdinger of the hybrid world but you can bet the hybrid Escalade will be expensive. A 2008 Escalade retails for almost $60,000. The hybrid version will cost at least another $10,000, if not more.
"No other manufacturer offers a hybrid that can seat eight luxuriously while simultaneously carrying or trailering lots of cargo comfortably," said Jim Taylor, Cadillac's general manager, in a news release.
The hybrid Escalade will use the GM 2-Mode Hybrid system with a 6-liter V-8 but can cruise on only electric power at speeds up to about 25 mph.
The Escalade's braking system is similar to the braking design in the Toyota Prius and will enable the Caddie to recharge a 300-volt battery pack when the driver uses the SUV's brakes.
The Escalade hybrid system is equipped with electric motors located in the in the transmission to assist the gasoline powered engine while cruising on the highway. The Escalade also uses GM's Active Fuel Management system which shuts off four cylinders when less power is needed to allow the monster to cruise the highways in a more efficient style.
Escalade sales have remained strong throughout the run up in gasoline prices. GM sold more the 30,000 of the SUVs through October, according to industry data.
Nevertheless, a hybrid version of the behemoth is a risk for GM.
Critics of the large SUV accuse GM of missing the point of the hybrid movement while grandstanding in a effort to cloak the company with a green label.
GM insists that the hybrid Escalade will be a fuel efficient SUV that does not compromise any of the capabilities buyers of large vehicles want.
GM plans to introduce a new hybrid system annually for the next several years, each offering different levels of affordability, fuel savings and performance, said Tom Stephens, GM group vice president, GM Powertrain. This strategy will allow more consumers to benefit from our hybrid technologies, while providing the opportunity to reduce our countrys petroleum consumption.
