GM Shanghai to Begin Production of Hybrid System in China in 2008
20 April 2007
GM Shanghai, GM’s joint venture with SAIC, will begin the production of a hybrid system—a version of the Belt Alternator Starter system used in the Malibu, Aura, and VUE hybrids (earlier post)—in 2008. GM had indicated in 2006 that China would see a BAS implementation in 2008.
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The Riviera concept. |
The announcement came during the reveal of the new Buick Riviera concept at Auto Shanghai 2007. The Riviera, developed and launched in China, has been engineered to accommodate the new hybrid system, which reportedly will also be applied in the production version of the Buick LaCrosse in China.
Quick find something negative to post...
Posted by: sulleny | 20 April 2007 at 05:29 PM
Once the cost of producing these units drops it can then be considered for inclusion as 'standard equipment' (like ABS and many other once expensive optional features) on all their products which is where the real benefit of a cheap mild hybrid design lies. This would also do much more than Toyota could hope to do to reduce CAFE and on-road fleet fuel consumption in that timeframe and would probably go a long way (WAY longer than the ethanol guzzler push) to improve a very tarnished corporate image. Selling a few mild hybrids here and there won't add up to much in the big picture, but once the bugs and cost are worked out the strategy should be moving towards fleet-wide implementation as standard equipment.
Posted by: Erick | 25 April 2007 at 12:35 PM
It's a good thing they are not making hybrids available in the U.S. I got a craving for oil baby and I'm addicted!!!
Posted by: Just another dumb american | 27 April 2007 at 05:47 PM