Grab almost any car rag off the rack at your local newsstand, flip through the glossy pages and your thumb will start to stumble about midway through.

“What’s this?” You wonder.

Another insert for more subscriptions?

Nope . . .

It’s GM’s answer to their $39 billion loss.

“The Hybrid That Makes Sense” is sprawled across the top of their ten page--pull out and all--advert, like stars on a puppet general.

Scrawled on these pages are fantastically Photoshopped pics of lush green vegetation with a silver streak down a two lane road, snazzy charts and graphs and a sensational, hyped up piece flying the colors of increased efficiency, economy and performance.

Read the first paragraph and their hybrid sounds pretty good . . .

“With the 2008 Yukon Hybrid, no tradeoff is required between fuel economy, performance and capability . . . yet it returns unprecedented fuel economy--an estimated 40-percent improvement in city driving and overall improvement of 25 percent.*”

But lo and behold, there it is, like a pimple on a supermodel, that single little asterisk.

Follow it down to the bottom of the page and you see what the 40% improvement really is. Get this . . . “the hybrid that makes sense” gets 20 mpg in the city and 21 on the highway.

How could this be? How could GM make such a foolish hybrid? Sure, they claim '08 will bring the Volt test bed and '10 will see it in production, but I'll believe it when I see it.

One possible answer is that they’re completely oblivious to our current energy crisis. Maybe they’ve turned a blind eye to people like you and me who have been practically screaming about the reality of peak oil and our need to cut consumption for years. It certainly looks that way, considering the engine is a 6.0 liter, 332 horsepower V-8.

But I seriously doubt GM is unaware of all this doom and gloom talk, especially since they’ve been in the pockets of Big Oil since the beginning.

As a Mr. Jeff G. said in response to my last article , “Too many powerful people on an international level would have too much to lose beyond wealth . . . favors couldn’t be repaid, face would be lost, and the whole balance of things would teeter.”

Right-o, man! That certainly seems to be the case.

And you know what? That makes me pissed off, and you should be, too.

This whole while, people with good hearts have been scooping up gas-guzzlers because either . . .

A) They thought there was more than enough oil to go around.

or

B) They thought the hybrids and other alternative-fueled vehicles out there weren’t worth buying because they didn’t cut gas use all that much.

Well, the people in group B are only right in the case of the Big Three.

And the problem with people being tricked into thinking this way is that now we’re all going to have to foot the bill for GM’s shenanigans--the blood in the streets as people fight over gasoline, the rise in the cost of food, medical supplies, plastics, EVERYTHING (not to mention the millions that suffer from respiratory and cardiac ailments due to pollution) because GM and the others were more concerned with keeping their partners happy.

Think the sub-prime nightmare and the tanking dollar are bad? Just wait until oil is at $300 a barrel. That’s when the fun really begins. Load up the wagon and rack the shot gun, Sally, we’re goin’ to Mexico!

That’s the nature of the beast though, right? Politicians and businessmen lie, cheat and steal to keep the borderline crooks in the banks, Big Oil and other major companies happy.

Or is it?

Right now there are some serious competitors that a year or two ago looked like they’d never be able to get enough leverage to unseat the automotive kings from their throne. But now, with the mess we find our economy in and the absolutely miserable financial reports coming from Detroit, these small companies look like they have more than just a fighting chance.

Take, for instance, UQM Technologies.

Aside from getting deals with militarily funded hybrid manufacturer Armor Holdings , the Air Force and Phoenix Motorcars , a pair of Aussies have developed a new hybrid semi truck to blast through the land down under without a compromise in performance.

We’re all familiar with big rigs, but a lot of people don’t know how they work.

In most big rigs the eight wheels behind the cab are connected with a jack shaft. That means the first set of dualies are connected to the rear set--mind you, I’m just talking about the wheels on the cab, not the whole cab-trailer combo--with a drive shaft that powers all eight wheels.

What these inventors have done is eliminate that jack shaft so that the engine is not powering the rear set of wheels. To make up for this loss of traction they have placed two UQM electric motors on the differential that supply a combined total of 400 horsepower and 960 foot-pounds of torque.

Courtesy of Clifford Hall at Green Car Congress -- http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/11/concept-plug-in.html#more

But these motors aren’t just for extra umph.

You know when you’re cruising alongside a semi on a steep downhill grade and you here the WHACK of a downshift and the loud revving of the engine?

Well, that downshift is for engine braking and is essential to slowing those beasts down. The downside is the massive quantities of fuel consumed when that engine leaps up a couple thousand RPMs.

Having those UQM motors on the rear end cuts down engine braking considerably.

As I experienced firsthand in a Phoenix Motorcars sport utility truck test drive , these motors, when used as regenerative brakes, seriously pull in the ponies and help the largest of vehicles stop on a dime.

 

Photo: Phoenix SUT

With this boost of electric-only power and motor-assisted braking, the inventors predict a 25% decrease in fuel consumption. And the beautiful thing is, this technology can be applied to any existing semi.

This would fast track the introduction of hybrid vehicles onto our roads by utilizing the existing fleet . . . We expect the conversion unit to pay for itself in the first year of use by way of the reduced fuel consumption. We have secured a patent pending to entice investors so as to start producing this concept.

--Clifford Hall

Here’s how it would all play out . . .

The truck would leave with fully charged batteries and draw on them only for acceleration, hill climbing, downhill braking and slow travel through towns--cutting down noise considerably.

As you can see, with the cost of conversion paid for in the first year, and it being a technology that can be applied to any vehicle, these forward-thinking inventors have done more to solve our energy and environmental crisis than any of the pricks in the Big Three are doing . . .

Bottom line, keep an eye on companies like UQM for motors and Altairnano for the lithium ion batteries, because these are the companies that are making what we need.

To quote Mr. G. again, “ . . . you’re on your own to do this thing--don’t wait for GM!”

As always, keep your hopes in the future but your sense in the present,

Field Palmer

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Throughout the history of GM and other large auto makers, it has been their unwritten policy to suppress any technology that will upset their large applecart. Numerous invention have been designs in the last century to improve on mileage, performance and lower operating costs for vehicles. But the auto companies are in league with the oil industries and their corporate lobbyists making sure congress passes legislation in their favor.
GM was also instrumental in buying up many mass transit systems in the US to insure increased sales of autos. So of course, they aren't going to make a decent hybrid or low cost hydrogen vehicle. And I also must say that biofuels are a very poor substitute for eixting gas pollution.

I agree. If you go to Europe, very few people are driving hybrids of any kind. If you talk to auto manufacturers or car motor manufacturers, they pushing diesel with the hope that someone will provide biodiesel. The German diesel car or truck today is both fuel efficient and pollutes less than many hybrids sold in the US today. These vehicle are available and cheaper than their hybrid cousins most of the time. From my research, the next great "green car" is coming from Japan and it will have a diesel engine.

Right on with your article. Phoenix Motors has the opportunity of a life time. The real puzzle is why they are so darn slow in getting on with production. It makes one wonder if there is something under the hood they are not revealing. Otherwise, they should be on every street corner hawking their machine.

This is an excellent example of the ability of individual innovators to bring a technological innovation to the table. Now I wonder if they have any plans for retrofitting automobiles -- probably not. I have a '99 Volvo S 80 that I'd consider retrofitting if the numbers made sense. The car is wonderful and, if well maintained, will last indefinitely. I'm looking for ways to increase its fuel efficiency.

I love it. Thanks for writing this article. I want to tell everyone about it.

Coming from a trucking background there are a few questions I would have about a conversion of this type. First how long would the batteries last, and where would they be mounted, there are certain rules in the US and Canada that would play a major part in how this conversion would work. Second, would the Ministry of Transportation, and the Department of Transportation in the US accept these hybrid, there are very strick rules about maintanence and compliance when it comes to big trucks. Thirdly Austraila is relativly flat, in Canada and the US you have the rockies, and other mountain areas that if you are travelling uphill or downhill for any length of time there is a possibility of charge loss in the batteries, then you have a 75,000lb truck rolling downhill with no engine brake assist and the real possibility of brake fade. This is a great Idea, but I think that you will see extreme reluctance from fleet owners to make this type of conversion, I think that you will see a conversion to biodiesel long before you see a converstion to a hybrid truck.

Mr. Palmer, when a rig down shifts to decelerate and rpm's rise, it doesn't use any extra fuel at all. It uses the same as if it were idling. A small detail, but details are important.

Wow!

Not since GM's campaigns to purchase the electric commute lines so they could be dismantled after WWII have we found so clear a case. Glossy reverse thinking rather than improvements.

Long live the alternative.

RE: "Well, that downshift is for engine braking and is essential to slowing those beasts down. The downside is the massive quantities of fuel consumed when that engine leaps up a couple thousand RPMs."

Most diesel engines consume no fuel at all when engine braking. The amount of fuel to the injectors is controlled by the governor which is in the "no fuel" position when the engine RPM exceeds the throttle "idle" setting.

Hi. I normally agree with every article I've read by Green Chip Stocks and am very happy with your services overall. I also am in the environmental field and agree that green stocks are an awesome opportunity and a wave of the future.

However, I feel this article is too narrow-minded and assumes everyone views traditional, high-gas mileage hybrids (Civics, Prius, etc.) and the new SUV hybrids coming out in the Yukon and Tahoe as alternatives (plus Toyota is supposed to put a similar engine in their new Sequoia). In many situations, these very different types of vehicles are not true alternatives since traditional hybrids cannot meet certain needs.
For example, this article does not recognize the situation my family is in along with many families in rural areas where they need UTILITY vehicles on ranches, have heavy loads to carry, drive on bad roads, etc. We live at 5,200 feet in the Sierra Nevada foothills and MUST have 4WD or AWD on at least one (preferably two) of our vehicles to drive on icy and snowy roads during the 5 to 6 month cold season. Also, since we are avid outdoors people with kids, we need towing capacity for a camping trailer and the ability to go on 4WD routes on outdoor trips (I also have a handicap from a serious leg injury and can no longer go on long hikes like I used to). I also coach 4 or 5 sports teams and not only have to haul around lots of sports equipment year round in the back of a vehicle, I have to keep the back two rows of seats free for the kids I take to sporting events (the other parents who take kids to sporting events with me also drive SUVs or mini-vans to cut down on the number of vehicles needed to take 11 to 14 kids plus their parents to an event). This is why we currently own an all wheel drive mini-van that only gets 17 mpg overall. So, the 25% improvement in fuel efficiency with the new SUV hybrids sounds very good to us. Also, we can afford to buy both an SUV AND A TRADITIONAL HYBRID at a later date. This way, we can use the traditional hybrid for commuting purposes when there is not ice on the road.

So please consider the different situations of car buyers before you criticize efforts to improve the gas mileage of utility vehicles (not commuting vehicles).

Thanks,

Mark

im waiting for pwac to come out with their zinc generator it will run the same way //produce electricity to power electric motor

It doesn't surprise me about the Yukon Hybrid. I was eagerly anticipating when the Silverado hybrid was introduced about a year ago. I was totally disappointed when I saw the mileage figures, the engine size, etc. The truck was designed to be a generator for contractors. It has 120 volt electric outlets everywhere - in the cab, in the bed, etc. The vehicle was never designed to get better gas mileage as proven by the fact that they stuck a 6.0 liter gas engine in it. The vehicle starts automatically if you draw power off of an outlet and it shuts the engine down if you are using generator power when the gas supply gets low. GM doesn't get it. There are many of us that want a truck to move things, haul trailers or boats, etc. but we want good mileage - we don't want a 6.0 liter gas hog electric generator on wheels.