Video: Under the hood, 2008 hybrid Yukon
I took this video late July, when GM brought the Volt to Washington, DC. The 2008 hybrid Yukon tagged along for the trip. It's not out until November 2007, so I thought I would give everyone a peak with some comments from GM staff. If you want a more detailed, unbiased look, check out our first impressions of the 2008 hybrid Yukon. The video starts out with some things about the hybrid technology with Mary, a director.
Then I take a look at the battery with Mary. It's below the back seat. That's the safest place to be if you are in an accident. Back middle. I then take a look with Tim, an engineer, under the hood. You can't really see his face, it was really sunny that day. Sorry, Tim. He talks about how they fit in another engine without changing the size of the car body. No pricing yet but they say it will be "affordable."
Tim also said the Tahoe will be made in Texas. So, I guess Rep. Barton should be happy about that. For regular AutoblogGreen readers, I did ask your questions about the Volt. They did not say anything new. I will post question requests as more events come around. I think it's really important we get your questions. You can see the video with your questions below the fold. Also, check out the pictures I took of the 2008 hybrid Yukon in this gallery.
Gallery: 2008 Hybrid Yukon
[Source: Youtube]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
rgseidl 5:46PM (8/09/2007)
320bhp out of a 6L V8 is very poor power density for what is still a light duty vehicle engine with a life expectancy of ~150,000 miles.
A 2.4L V6 with sequential turbochargers could deliver the same rated power at much lower size and weight. What little turbo lag there is in a sequential turbo setup could easily be masked by a full hybrid system.
Recently published work by the TU Dresden demonstrates the feasibility of such high power density levels from an ICE, though their focus was on downsizing an inline 4 rather than a V8. The same principle applies, though.
http://www.all4engineers.com/index.php;site=a4e/lng=en/alloc=3/id=6658
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MikeW 9:07PM (8/09/2007)
Where is the 6 speed automatic for the 5.3V8 (the 4.8 is the neglected child)
How about 6L80 / 5.3 V8 / 4x4 with 258mm torque converter.
http://www.cadillacfaq.com/stsfaq/tsb/data/tsb/05-07-30-023.pdf
or possibly the 6L50 /5.3V8 / 4x2 (use the largest converter-280mm? for lowest stall speed) iffy in that peak torque of 5.3 is claimed to be 340ft-lbs, and maximum input torque is supposed to be only 332ft-lbs.
Do one, do both, do something.
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rgseidl 6:09AM (8/10/2007)
The two-mode transmission in this hybrid vehicle doesn't have a torque converter at all. It uses the two electric motors instead.
For conventional setups, a dual-wet-clutch step-by-step transmission is a good option. It's smaller, lighter and there is more flexibility in choosing the gear ratios. With a hybrid system, the torque boost a TC provides before it freewheels can easily be simulated, if desired.
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Tim 12:32PM (8/10/2007)
Here is an excellent video ride on GM's Hybrid Bus at Podtech.net. http://www.podtech.net/home/3754/gms-hybrid-bus
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