Next gen GM hybrid pickups to get 50% better towing, Voltec possible
by Sam Abuelsamid on Feb 26th 2009 at 8:52AM 
click for a high res gallery of GM's hybrid pickups
General Motors is currently in the midst of launching its hybrid full-size pickup trucks and our man Jeremy is in San Antonio this week to try them out. One thing about the auto industry is that as soon as you get one product out the door, you're already working on the next generation. Such is the case with GM's two-mode hybrids which are due for a second generation in about 4 years. Mike Levine over at PickupTrucks.com has been talking to GM about where they are going for the next generation models. While the trucks launching right now have pretty decent towing power at 6,100 lbs for the RWD version (5,900 for the 4WD), big truck buyers want more.
GM's truck vehicle line executive, Gary White, told Mike that the next-gen models would have 50 percent better towing power in addition to greater efficiency. Perhaps more interesting is where GM is going with the hybrid architecture itself. While a next generation two-mode system will definitely be developed, White told Levine that something like the Volt's Voltec (formerly E-flex) system is on the table for the trucks.
The trucks certainly have room between the frame rails for plenty of batteries, and electric motors that provide enough torque for 9,000 lbs of towing capacity are pretty straightforward. Such a system would also eliminate the limiting factor with the current two-mode, which is the planetary gear-sets. However, a truck would need a very large range extender to maintain that towing capacity beyond the plug-in battery range when the vehicle gets into charge sustaining mode. It's certainly an interesting idea. We'll be watching to see what happens.
Gallery: 2009 GM hybrid pickups
Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: PickupTrucks.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Yikes 9:29AM (2/26/2009)
One thing bothers me about the dual-mode and towing.
I know the Tahoe and those sibs only use the electric motors for reversing the vehicle. Trying to back a big heavy trailer I can see the batteries being drained quickly.
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Sam Abuelsamid 11:39AM (2/26/2009)
There is no reverse gear in the two-mode transmission so the drive is electric, however the engine can still run and charge the battery.
Chris M 2:43AM (2/27/2009)
That's right. Just like the Toyota and Ford hybrids, the GM Dual Mode hybrid has two motor/generators and uses one of those to run in reverse. Electrical power for reverse driving can come from the batteries, or the other motor/generator (driven by the engine) or both.
BoomBoom 10:16AM (2/26/2009)
Give the lackluster sales of these hybrid trucks, it seems like making them yet more powerful isn't really the direction to go. The truck buyers in the US have yet to prove they'll even consider buying a hybrid truck, so why keep chasing them? GM should put it's efforts into a hybrid mini-van or a prius/insight competition that won't be 40k like the volt. Those markets might actually get off the fence and buy something.
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paulwesterberg 11:03AM (2/26/2009)
Truck buyers aren't buying because the hybrids cost extra, are probably more prone to breakdowns and they don't offer much fuel savings.
I doubt there are many truck buyers whose current trucks lack towing capacity such that they will switch to a hybrid. Can a hybrid really be better than a cummings diesel with dualies?
If you could make a hybrid that got twice the mileage of a normal truck and was comparable at towing and didn't cost a whole heck of a lot more(reasonable payback period) then I thing people would buy in.
BoomBoom 11:30AM (2/26/2009)
Paul demonstrates what I'm talking about perfectly. The bar that truck owners are expecting is beyond what any current hybrid acheives. The Prius gets 30-40% better mpg than a comparable weight conventional car, and it has minimal towing capacity. It can't get over the bar that Paul sets and it is the best selling hybrid out there.
I'm not saying that hybrid trucks are impossible, just that truck owners are going to be the last folks to adopt them. Plus trucks are much better candidates for diesels (as Brandon mentions below.)
Brandon 10:50AM (2/26/2009)
Or they could give us a light duty diesel in the truck giving more towing capacity than the gas engine with fuel economy that is as good or better than the hybrid. I don't know why truck manufacturers don't understand that the first one to release a small diesel in a 1/2 will sell like crazy?! Every truck guy I know would pay extra for a diesel in a 1/2. Seems like a no brainer.
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oldraven 12:39PM (2/26/2009)
GM already has a small diesel in the works for their 1/2 tonnes. It's a really ingenious design, with the reverse port heads plumbing the turbo into the valley between the heads, plus common rail injection and a variable geometry turbo.
I think this is an attempt to change the hateful image their BOF units have gained lately.
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/05/gm-releases-details-on-upcoming-4-5l-duramax-turbo-diesel-v8/
Randy 12:19PM (2/26/2009)
The new truck might be a result from the work Raser is doing on series hybrid platforms for trucks and SUV’s on behalf of a yet unnamed Detroit three automaker.
The video update link from Raser.
http://www.rasertech.com/media/movies/html/fev_jan09.html
I read somewhere that the body in the video is a Hummer, so my guess is the company in question is GM and hence may be related to this article.
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oldraven 1:02PM (2/26/2009)
That shouldn't be a surprise, since the existing Hybrid system they have on their full size trucks was co-developed with BMW and Chrysler. The Aspen uses the same system the Tahoe does.
Tim 1:52PM (2/26/2009)
I wonder what % of light pickups ever tow anything at all?
I would bet that the VAST majority are used as commuters and for hauling bulky items like plywood, ladders, brush, mulch, yard waste, furniture etc. A "light truck" version of Voltec would work VERY well for this application. Personally, I have a Chevy 1500 4x4 light truck that I use to go fishing at Naggs Head and haul bulky or dirty items like my kayak from time to time, but I use my car for daily driving because it gets better milage.
As always, the bottom line is... PRICE! If I had a Voltec light truck, I could get rid of my car.
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oldraven 2:12PM (2/26/2009)
I think if they had the foresight they could have saved Hummer. If they completely ditched their existing powertrains and moved to strictly Voltec propulsion, the Hummer brand would instantly become known as the Green Off-roader. Flexfuel was a bandaid on a missing limb. I honestly couldn't picture an application better suited to EV propulsion with an onboard generator than in a rock crawler. Traction control would be as easy to calibrate as ABS, and hill decent control would be regenerative. Not to mention that ditching driveshafts and axles and brakes would be ideal for off-roaders, offsetting any weight gains from batteries.
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BoomBoom 9:56AM (2/27/2009)
The Hummer brand was doomed from the beginning. No one would have bought a electric/hybrid hummer for an extra 20K. GM is already wasting its efforts on hybrids for big trucks. Ford has the right idea with the smaller/mid-size vehicles.
oldraven 1:06PM (3/02/2009)
You don't think the segment is still big with the ultra-rich and celebrity types, who also make every attempt to prove to the world that they are green at heart, no matter what they drive or where they live? I think a EREV Hummer brand would have been genius. They could have quelled every bit of hatred for the company and made it a celebrity favourite in one marketing and production move.
People still WANT these types of vehicles. They either can't afford to run them anymore, or they're trying to reduce. An EREV Hummer gives them a free pass on the operating costs and bad social appearance whilst letting them drive the rig they've always wanted to, or had to give up due to a conscience.
Ron Fischer 9:57PM (2/26/2009)
Voltec plus the infamous hub motors would make a vehicle which, while fabulously expensive, could likely tear large buildings off their foundations to the limits of available traction. I don't pretend to understand the marketing of light trucks, so the brand value of this for GM is unclear at the moment. However, automakers likely see the current recessionary period as "calm before the storm", since many analysts predict a rapid rise in oil prices during a recovery. If that happens truck buyers may take notice.
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jmsdzero 2:06AM (2/27/2009)
voltec? my first thought was someone trying to write vortec in engrish...
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