General Motors and its Chinese partner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation have been busy developing the next generation of the GM Hybrid System. This updated system was housed in the Buick Business Concept, a business-class sedan that was introduced last week at Auto Shanghai 2009. In addition to the automaker’s effort at surviving near-collapse, General Motors wants to show its work with the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center to create a “mild hybrid” vehicle.
The Buick Business Concept and other GM vehicles with this generation of the GM Hybrid System could achieve 20% fuel savings at peak operation. The Buick Business Concept features a lithium-ion battery pack that reduces the gasoline used during daily commutes and long trips. The “mild” in “mild hybrid” comes from the use of a traditional 2.4-liter, four cylinder engine as well as a six-speed automatic transmission that reduces fuel lost in gear changes.
The GM Hybrid System is able to achieve fuel economy savings through a variety of means. The Buick Business Concept was designed to turn off its engine when idled, eliminating fuel waste at red lights and railroad crossings. Before the Buick Business Concept even gets to the red light, the GM Hybrid System would cut off fuel lines during long periods of deceleration. The improved power of regenerative braking in the GM Hybrid System’s sophomore edition will contribute to fuel savings. General Motors is getting hip to the push for electric propulsion, designing the Buick Business Concept to travel at brief intervals using electricity.
As you can see in the rendering above, the Buick Business Concept blends style and practicality. The major issue for industry experts, drivers and investors in General Motors is whether the GM Hybrid System can perform. Since the Buick Business Concept is merely an idea rather than a product on the market, we can only guess how the GM Hybrid System will perform in the future. The fortunes of GM’s signature effort in the alternative vehicle market, the Chevy Volt, will determine where the company’s Hybrid System is going in the next decade. If General Motors is able to outlast this current economic downturn, the once-venerable automaker at least possesses an outline for future success.
