Cadillac Considers Hybrids for all Future Models

[Flybrian]

GM's Cadillac Considers Hybrids for All Its Vehicles

Link to Original Article @ Bloomberg | By Greg Bensinger

June 26 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp.'s Cadillac luxury-vehicle division is considering hybrid versions of all its models as U.S. gasoline prices stay near $3 a gallon and the brand's sales decline.

"Pretty much every program I am looking at going forward has got a hybrid as part of it,'' John Howell, Cadillac's product chief, said today in an interview in New York. He didn't give a time frame for adding the gasoline-electric versions.

Cadillac is looking for ways to revive demand after its U.S. sales fell 3.4 percent last year, the first annual decline since 2001. Sales this year dropped 7.2 percent through May. Cadillac, known for larger cars and sport-utility vehicles, hasn't fared well as gasoline prices surged this year and in 2006.

The division's first hybrid will be the 2009 Escalade SUV, Howell said. It will have the so-called two-mode system that increases hybrid fuel savings by more efficient adjustments to different engine speeds. GM plans two-mode hybrid versions later this year of its Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon large SUVs and has said fuel economy will rise 25 percent from gasoline-only models.

U.S. hybrid sales last year increased 23 percent to 253,652, led by Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius car. Hybrids reduce fuel use and emissions by combining a gasoline engine, an electric motor, a battery pack and brakes that capture energy from stopping.

Cadillac ultimately expects to raise annual U.S. sales back to 300,000, a level it hasn't reached since 1986, Howell said. Exceeding that yearly figure might make the brand ``too ubiquitous'' and reduce its appeal to luxury buyers, he said.

The GM division is headed toward doubling its sales in China to about 20,000 vehicles this year, Howell said. The automaker is considering expanding Cadillac sales to Argentina, he said.

Shares of Detroit-based GM gained 8 cents to $36.35 at 4:20 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. They have gained 18 percent this year.

SPY SHOTS! Cadillac Escalade Hybrid

Link to Original Article @ Left Lane News | By Greg Bensinger

The Cadillac Escalade might be a symbol of excess among wealthy American consumers, but spy photographers have found proof the big SUV is about to show its greener side.

Cadillac engineers have been caught testing an Escalade Hybrid prototype in the Nevada desert. Unlike the Tahoe and Yukon Hybrids, the Escalade Hybrid won't feature any unique styling cues to set it apart. Instead, its driver will have to rely on the relatively subtle badging to announce their eco-consciousness to their friends.

Those Hybrid badges were covered with electrical tape on the desert-bound test models. Despite the tape, it was easy to read the raised "Hybrid" lettering when viewed from the right angle. A peek inside the cockpit revealed a large green Hybrid insignia on the Escalade's tachometer.

Two electric motors will assist the Escalade's V8 engine, resulting in a 25 percent increase in fuel economy. Cadillac is expected to get the Escalade Hybrid to showrooms this fall.

[tmp]

Sales are declining also because the CTS is about to be replaced by a far better model. If I were in the market, I'd wait. Most people who spend 80k on an SUV aren't that concerned with the mileage. Hybrids in the line would be a good thing though.

I think that becoming to ubiquitous in the US is a valid concern: raising sales abroad it the way to go. Bring on the diesels!

[gm4life]

I think a hybrid CTS and Escalade is all they really need.

[Flybrian]

Though the idea of a Diesel Cadillac sends shivers down the backs of some, I would love to see a torquey 30-35mpg DTS.

[Camino LS6]

After having the Duramax, a diesel from GM no longer scares me.

[loki]

just curious.... what engine would we think we'd see in the two mode 'sclade? the same 6.2L or an AFM equipped ... anything? or maybe the NG N*?

[Drew Dowdell]

Though the idea of a Diesel Cadillac sends shivers down the backs of some, I would love to see a torquey 35-40mpg CTS.

fixed

[jbartley]

cadillac sales: escalade sales ESV & EXT are way up, STS/CTS sales are down. bad reporting. author fails to note this.

Really? 2009? But the Escalade hybrid looks ready to play now?

Edited June 27, 2007 by jbartley

[caddycruiser]

Yeah, the Escalade and the other big GM ute's, plus the Silverado, as 2-mode Hybrids have been known for a while.

A person on GMI, I believe who works with a GM connected company, just made a post a few days ago about seeing the whole clan and some GM engineers, and being able to drive the Escalade Hybrid:

Anyway, I got to drive a Two-Mode Escalade today. The marketing team brought a couple Escalades, some Yukons and Tahoes, and two Silverados! ALL WITH TWO-MODE HYBRID DRIVE SYSTEMS!!! Holy poop I was excited.

The Escalade drove very smoothly. It went in electric-only mode until about 10-15 mph, and the gasoline engine turned on seamlessly. I have driven a Prius and the Escalade was a MUCH smoother ride. I heard similar comments from my co-workers who got to drive the other vehicles. One of the Silverados and one of the Tahoes were out of commission for some reason, hopefully nothing serious.

I don't think any of this is secret, so hopefully nobody gets angry (the "Hybrid" lables on the car were not covered up or anything). But I didn't previously know that the Silverado was also getting the Two-Mode system. Hopefully they sell like hotcakes come next year.

i forgot to mention, the guy in charge said he could get 29 mpg on the highway from the Escalade. let me type that again :29 mpg from an Escalade!

he said he could get that number because he "knows how to drive it to get maximum efficiency" whatever that means. i assume he meant he was driving the speed limit, or maybe under. he said that over time he has averaged 23 mpg in combined driving.

also, the dash has a screen that shows the energy coming from battery, engine, or a combination from the two, and it also showed energy being returned to the battery while braking (very similar to the screen in the Prius if you have seen that.)

They sound interesting and well done...even with the issue that they're already high priced vehicles to begin with, and the Hybrid items are only going to spring them up further (i.e., lots of high rollers and celebrity territory).

[turbo200]

will it really be in production this fall? I kind of like the idea of some enhancements, cooler than the ones on the Tahoe hybrid, to stir up more interest, though the Escalade package is already pretty good.

hybrids will help escalade buyers to feel less guilty [and save a little gas]. I wouldn't be surprised if the hybrid takes up a 50% sales ratio, maybe more..

[Flybrian]

The Escalade hybrid gives people the ability to be green and cool, not cool in a greenish way. Prius is faux-cool. If it had a 1.8, everyone would laugh at it even more. This shows one doesn't have to compromise.

[caddycruiser]

The Escalade hybrid gives people the ability to be green and cool, not cool in a greenish way. Prius is faux-cool. If it had a 1.8, everyone would laugh at it even more. This shows one doesn't have to compromise.

True, except for the big issue of price--that's the lingering compromise here. Another huge reason why so many current "green" or simply Hybrid cars are so popular is because of the mostly "normal" car pricetag...add that same technology to big ute's that, while nice, are already in the upper echelon of daily use vehicle's pricing, and you start hitting new peaks like the new Lexus LS Hybrid. A fantastic car coupled with fantastic technology, but really only for a limited market of very well off buyers.

Then again, they all seem to want to be as green as everybody, so rather than stick it out in a Prius or what have you, now they won't feel as guilty cruising in an Escalade. The pity is, you just won't see the normal Tahoe LS/LT driving soccer mom or guy getting that same benefit...it's out of their range. So, this time, you REALLY have to spend to get that increase, so it's negated even more than when people do a cost comparison over time of something like a regular Civic vs. a Hybrid Civic.

I'm anxious to see how it all pans out.

Edited June 27, 2007 by caddycruiser

[Drew Dowdell]

I'd like to see Cadillac offer a smaller displacement + hybrid rather than keeping the same displacement + hybrid.

[Windy-57]

Good to hear they are moving this way. And not for the obvious reasons, fuel economy and image.

Someone already said it but fuel economy isn't really a huge concern in the luxury game and the positive image of driving a hybrid is starting to wane.

But I like this because it's real tough to be a true luxury competitor if you're not seen as a technological leader and it's real tough to be seen as a technological leader these days if you don't have any hybrids.

[eldiablobanshee]

Would not the better MPG of all these hybrids help GM meet the new CAFE regulations with out having to stop making 600+bhp CTS-Vs.

[Gizhost]

Awesome! Cadillac should definately add more hybrids to their line-up, simply to keep up with Lexus.

[CarTitans]

Awesome! Cadillac should definately add more hybrids to their line-up, simply to keep up with Lexus.

It's not even a race between Caddy and Lexus, but a normal step forward for Cadillac considering the increasing green movement in the USA.