The 2008 Chevy Malibu Hybrid
According to Ed Peper (pronounced "Peeper") General Manager of Chevrolet Division of GM, Chevy is on quite a roll. Outside the US, the brand is growing by double digits in many markets, and the Chevy line is holding its own against competition in the US. While it is true that GM and Chevy are talking green every chance they get, one finds it hard to forget history. GM and Chevy are synonymous with the high energy lifestyle we are trying to wean ourselves from. GM invested in and out of the EV-1, preferring to destroy what cars they built rather than leave them in the hands of their users as evidence that, indeed, they once existed at all.
[Source: International Motor Press Association]
Gallery: 2008 Chevy Malibu Hybrid
Now, about the Malibu: Mr. Peper announced that Chevy was going to begin a strong advertising push this week - on the web, on television and in the printed media. They have certainly followed through on that. The car is being built in Kansas and, as looks go, it does seem like a modern, attractive, even "up-market" model starting at $20,000. It is a well-proportioned vehicle in the classic, late 20th century style. While mentioning Chevy's multi-faceted alternative fuel and efficiency approach - E85, fuel cells, hybrids, pure electric, and fuel efficiency - Mr. Peper never once voluntarily mentioned that the Malibu Hybrid was a mild hybrid. Only when asked did he reveal that the hybrid benefit was "about 10% on both EPA 2008 city and highway testing." Unofficial. The Hybrid numbers would be about 24 MPG city and 34 MPG Highway based on the more realistic EPA 2008 cycles. These are respectable numbers but fall short of full hybrid by quite a bit. The Toyota Camry hybrid, a comparable car, gets 33 MPG city.
Still, looking on the bright side, buyers of this Malibu, either conventional or mild hybrid, may be retiring a vehicle with substantially lower fuel economy numbers. It isn't the high mileage of a few vehicles that will save us. It is the good mileage (and reduced annual driving) that will. So the Chevy Malibu is to be welcomed. It is a step closer to what we need.
Related:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
mike L 1:01PM (4/17/2008)
Hi Need to save Enviroment, need the automaker make the engine for the hydrogen fuel and the oil company make the hydrogen fuel,use solar and win energy at home.
Reply
C-Ann 2:46PM (4/23/2008)
I just purchased one. I am disappointed. I should have done my homework and I should have bought a Prius. "Mild Hybrid" was not explained to me when I bought it. After driving it for a few days and reading the manual have I found out it only "auto stops" at a complete stop (red light, stop and go traffic, drive thru). And only for 2 minutes at a time. And only if you have the A/C and heat controls on the correct setting. And only if the engine conditions are right. It's cool looking but the gas mileage is not very good. I am averaging 25.5. I could have done a lot better with many different options. I'm kicking myself now.
Reply
Steve 5:14PM (10/26/2007)
Once again, the argument of retiring a car with lower fuel economy is somewhat misleading. Much of the carbon "footprint" of a car comes from its manufacture - running your 3 year old car for 15 years is likely to produce less total carbon than replacing it now with one that gets slightly better gas mileage over that same timeframe. Until the automakers and their entire supply chain reduce the amount of carbon dioxide produced in the making of a vehicle, replacing a vehicle for reasons of reducing carbon is simply a fallacy.
Reply
GoodCheer 5:44PM (10/26/2007)
Is the Malibu really a "Mild Hybrid" (the definition of which is still not totally clear), or is it simply a weak (as in physically weak) parallel hybrid. On the web site they do imply that propulsion from the electric motor is possible, though with those crappy city MPG numbers there's clearly not a lot of power or energy there.
Reply
philmcneal 6:23PM (10/26/2007)
the malibu might be wider but i'm sure the prius has a better trunk, way better mileage and costs almost the same, wait no its cheaper! What a joke.
in terms of US dollars anyways, here in canada I think the malibu is only cheaper by a couple grand.
Reply
Ian 9:05PM (10/21/2008)
in canada the prius is the same pricing as the malibu and the camry hybrid (if you spec the malibu out the same by adding the power seat, sunroof, weather package, and same equipment that is STANDARD on the camry, the camry is $800 more with 17MPG better rating in the city). TO put it bluntly, the malibu is absolute crap! 2 MPG better in city and a couple better on the hwy is nothing to brag about. Knock it off GM. How about you shut your doors already and turn the lights off. You're done...............
Karkus 6:31PM (10/26/2007)
Actually, very little of the carbon footprint comes from manufacturing. Of course there is a debate about those figures, but numbers I've seen are typically in the 10-30% range (probably on the lower side of that range in the US since we drive more miles and keep cars longer than Europeans).
There's this big misconception that if you buy a used car, you're really wasting a bunch of energy (while really, it may be just a waste of money).
But think about this. So ideally, everyone buys a used car. Hmmm. Oh wait, that's not going to work, because cars don't last forever (and population is going up, miles traveled is going up, etc.)
OK so someone has to buy new cars eventually. If YOU buy a new car, it means someone else is more likely to buy a used one (supply/demand), and if YOU buy a used one, then someone else is more likely to buy a new one. It all sort of balances out.
So now, if you (instead of person X) buys that new car, you can choose to buy a fuel efficient one instead of person X, who would on average buy an average MPG car. So basically, environmentalists need to be the ones buying new cars, so that they can dictate what cars end up on the road.
Reply
Karkus 6:45PM (10/26/2007)
CORRECTION to above:
There's this big misconception that if you buy a NEW car, you're really wasting a bunch of energy.
Reply
Hank 7:34PM (10/26/2007)
"While it is true that GM and Chevy are talking green every chance they get, one finds it hard to forget history. GM and Chevy are synonymous with the high energy lifestyle we are trying to wean ourselves from."
Can you imagine Chevy or another car company reversing that message in their ads?
Something like: "American consumers talk green every chancy they get, but it's hard to forget history. 'American' and 'consumer' are synonymous with the high consumption vehicles from which we are trying to wean ourselves." The turnabout would definitely be fair play.
Reply
Dave 10:11PM (10/26/2007)
Am I correct in believing that GM's "mild hybrids" do not include regenerative braking?
Reply
bertg 10:45PM (10/26/2007)
OK. This might tide me over until my airbag equiped electic comes out in 2010. I look at the GM website to build a "cool" Malibu hybrid, with hip leather seats, hot wheels. Hey, gas guzzlers can order this Malibu. Something my grandmother would not drive. But Noooooooo. If you want a hybrid at GM, you get dorky choices and need be in the walker set! Boooooooooriiiing!
Reply
Chris M 1:53AM (10/27/2007)
The GM "mild hybrid" means their idle stop/start system with a combined starter motor/generator operating at 36 or 48 volts. IIRC, the Malibu Hybrid is using the Belt Alternator Starter system, which does have limited regenerative braking, and excellent engine auto-start.
As an improved starter motor, it is a big improvement - no more solenoid! As a hybrid, it is anemic - limited regen, very limited electric assist, no CVT.
Reply
MikeW 2:01AM (10/27/2007)
Bottom line it isn't a hybrid unless it can movely solely via electricity. None of this strong/weak or my-brid (thanks a lot DCX and the ESX series)
This is a start/stop system with an earlier fuel cutoff, and with small regeneration ability.
All this for the small cost of: a spare wheel and trunk space. (why not move the battery where the mini-spare was?) and a taller axle ratio on an obsolete 4 speed automatic.
The 2.4 & 6t40 is still on the way, hopefully when that comes, this 'hybrid' gets the axe, and then the real hybrid replaces it for '09 (dual mode 2.4, sorry early adopters)
The V6 is weak, unless GM updates it to the HO spec (for top end power) they should drop it in favor of the 2.0 direct injection turbo I4 with the 6t45. Comparable power: V6 252hp@6300, I4 250hp@5900, peak torque is less, but starts earlier 222ft-lbs@1650-5900 vs 251ft-lbs@3200 (the V6 hits that at about 2200rpm, and drops under at about 5400rpm.
GM should 'mass niche market', plenty of people live at altitude or drive through it.
Reply
AMcA 10:16AM (10/27/2007)
I think there's a place for the mild hybrid.
Just do the math: low cost, medium size mileage benefit versus the high cost Toyota system with its larger mileage benefit. I haven't run the numbers, but I suspect (given that it tends to take many years of driving to justify a full hybrid, and then battery replacement rears its expensive head and throws the whole calculation back to square one) that the mild hybrid actually does pretty well.
Reply
Chris M 3:37AM (10/29/2007)
AMca: I might have agreed with your logic if this "mild hybrid" Malibu had cost substantially less than the Full Hybrids, but starting price is only slightly less than the starting price of a Prius or Civic Hybrid that get much higher milage.
For anyone doing a substantial amount of driving, paying an extra $2K and getting nearly double the milage would be worthwhile.
Reply
Throwback 8:38AM (10/29/2007)
Chris M, it makes more sense to compare the Malibu to the Camry Hybrid. The Camry gets much better mileage but costs more. GM will probably keep the BAS system when they introduce their 2 mode system. Some people can't or wont pay the additional cost. Yes a Civic and Prius are about the same price but who is going to shop a Malibu against a Prius? The reason Toyota makes a Camry hybrid is precisely because some people prefer a sedan to a hatchback. As for the Civic it is a much smaller car than the Malibu and it's trunk is tiny. Price is still the biggest factor in what car people buy. On a personal note I have driven a Prius and frankly it was a very under whelming experience. The steering is numb, and the handling was not crisp enough for me. The regen braking while a great way to recoup energy means brake feel is nonexistent. Now I am no fan of hybrids in general, I think small light cars with small displacement engines are a much better solution. I realize however there are people who want/need bigger vehicles so hybrids, in all their guises are "one" solution.
Reply
David Kreller 10:40PM (8/09/2008)
I can see that someone might say 'driving a Prius is an underwhelming experience' if they are only familiar with high horsepower cars. I own a 2007 Prius, and within the first few days of owning it, I was totally convinced the car had all the power and handling I would need. It is far from gutless. The 'synergy' transmission means that the gas and electric engines pull together. There is a lot of torque off the line. The car accelerates very well at highway speeds. You are definitely not underpowered relative to the other vehicles around you. It handles very nicely in my opinion.
It is an exceptionally practical car. My wife and I absolutely love all the cargo space it has, especially with the back seats down. We were loyal Honda owners and took a close look at the Civic Hybrid, but the fact that the Civic's rear seats wouldn't fold down crushed that idea. We have the seats down at least once a week.
I have to drive 180 miles every weekend and I am very glad that I bought this car. It is such a smooth ride and has such a quiet cabin and nice sturdy seats, I love it. We have the HK package that has the Bluetooth and MP3 jack. Can't say enough good things about the car.
But then again, maybe I am just too practical. If I was all hung up on style or excess power in cars, I probably would be blind to the raw practicality of this car.
-DK
JW 9:05AM (10/29/2007)
Well, the author of this article fails to mention the Camry hybrid's highway mileage . . . 34. The Malibu hybrid's is exactly the same . . . 34.
So, the Malibu hybrid may not be for everyone, but if you'd like to not pay the Camry hybrid's cost-premium and do a lot more highway (or even suburban) driving than city, you could consider the Malibu. Plus if you think the Malibu looks better (particularly inside where you spend your time), you might pass on the city-savings.
If you want good city mileage, get a moped or a Prius or a diesel which gets better mileage all around. Or take public transportation, the smartest thing for city-dwellers to do.
Reply
RIFRAF 12:51PM (10/29/2007)
Again, an American Automaker that can't figure out that people's perspectives on the automobile and enviroment have changed. GM makes a 'mild' hybrid because they're still stuck in the Americans won't buy it mentallity. They need to wake up.
Reply
Hank 9:05PM (10/30/2007)
They know Americans will buy it. They're figuring Americans will buy even more of it if it's less expensive.
Reply