Apr 19, 2012

Spiffy car tech

Look, I'm no fan of GM and the bailout. I think their cars are overpriced and their trucks aren't anything special. And we're not even going to talk about the Volt.

But this is pretty cool.

Small 4-cylinder motor in a midsize sedan, with a big-ass electric boost motor for when it's needed. Regenerative braking, etc.

37mpg highway from a car that size is a step in the right direction.

I'll admit, I'm intrigued.

5 comments:

Oddball said...

You mean like Ford has done for a couple years now with the Ford Fusion? Oh, and the Fusion Hybrid gets 41mpg.

ZerCool said...

Odd: yup, apparently just like that, except I hadn't seen anything about the Ford.

Bubblehead Les. said...

Beats the 25mpg Highway Malibu we used last summer. Intriguing indeed.

mhaithaca said...

I don't think GM has come quite as far as Chrysler has, but a few of their vehicles are in the don't-suck category these days. I think the Malibu is a decent-looking, and decent-performing, mid-size sedan. That they're making an effort to improve their mileage and technology, and make hybrids seem less like goofy granolamobiles only for people with loads of extra money to waste, is a great sign.

AndrewSarchus said...

I love the idea, but 15KW is only ~20HP. It sounds a lot like a Prius.