The second round of the Drive to Green Strategy is focused on developing advanced drive systems and improving on old designs. Researchers have developed a 1.5-liter VVT engine and a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine designed to decrease fuel consumption. Shanghai GM plans engine and drive system upgrades that meet Euro V emission standards to all new GM vehicle owners in China after 2012. The key term for GM and SAIC researchers seems to be low displacement with 95% of all GM engines sold in China after 2012 to feature engines with displacements less than 2.5 liters.
Shanghai GM plans on introducing models in China like the Buick LaCrosse Hybrid and the second-generation Chevy Volt by 2015. The Buick LaCrosse Hybrid will improve fuel economy by 20% over the traditional model. The newest version of the Chevy Volt to be sold in China will have an all-electric range of 37 miles. This Chevy Volt version will have range extension that allows drivers to travel nearly 300 miles per trip. The Cadillac Escalade Hybrid is designed with a two-mode hybrid system that achieves a fuel economy of 24 miles per gallon, a 40% improvement over the standard model.
The Drive to Green Strategy raises some questions about commitments by GM and SAIC to high-efficiency vehicles. Shanghai GM needs to show some urgency in turning green intentions into reality in the proposed timetable. Any delays in rolling out new vehicle designs and engines in the Chinese market may decrease consumer trust in GM and SAIC. We must also question the use of the term green for some of the products proposed in Drive to Green. The introduction of a hybrid version of the Cadillac Escalade shows that GM may be tone deaf to the vehicle’s image as a symbol of excess. While fuel-efficient engines and drive systems are ideal, Shanghai GM should approach the Chinese market with a blank slate when it comes to vehicle design.
