The "2-Mode Hybrid" Developed Jointly with Daimler and BMW

The base vehicle will be the full-size "Enclave." However, instead of using it as-is, modifications will be made, such as reducing the seating from three rows to two and making the body slightly smaller.

The system to be installed in this new SUV is called the "2-Mode Hybrid," jointly developed by GM with Daimler and BMW. This system uses a direct-injection 3.6-liter V6 engine and an electric motor for power, with an 8 kWh lithium-ion battery pack laid out beneath the cargo floor.

The motor's specifications have not yet been released, but by incorporating two high-efficiency motors, development tests have shown it can travel approximately 16 km on electric power alone. Charging can be completed in about 4-5 hours using a standard 110V household outlet. GM announces that it will achieve double the fuel efficiency compared to SUVs in the same class.

Lithium-ion battery pack located under the cargo floor

Hybrid Small Sedan Also on Standby

This new SUV is scheduled to launch in the latter half of 2010 with a 2.4-liter inline-4 and a 3.0-liter V6 direct-injection gasoline engine, with the plug-in hybrid version set to debut in 2011.

GM also plans to launch the "Volt*," a plug-in hybrid small sedan, in the latter half of 2010. GM's major offensive, pushing forward with the commercialization of two types of hybrid vehicles, has now begun.

*A hybrid small sedan equipped with a motor producing 150 ps and 37.7 kgm of torque, along with an engine for battery charging. It achieves a maximum range of 64 km and a top speed of 161 km/h on a full charge. Charging is completed in about 8 hours with a 120V household outlet, or about 3 hours with a 240V outlet. When the battery charge decreases, the engine starts to supply power to the motor and charge the battery, extending the range to a maximum of approximately 480 km. Notably, on August 11, GM announced that the vehicle achieved a driving range of 230 miles per gallon of gasoline (approximately 100 km per liter).