I got a chance to meet with a few executives at GM involved with their hybrids programs afternoon. While these meetings seemed rather choreographed, I did manage to glean some interesting information from them.

Micky Bly, GM Director Global Hybrids

I had a great conversation with Micky about weather GM’s hybrid program has been a success. We touched on a few points that I think are informational:

• Leadership – It’s clear that GM wants to be a leader in Hybrids (and FlexFuels, PHEVs, and whatever other technologies are viable). He noted that all of GMs prescribed production runs have been sold out. The issue, however, is that these products are not being sold in volume. He did admit that suppliers are stretched to the limit, but are making deliveries. I wasn’t able to get any numbers out of Micky (no surprises there). But their high-profile models – Saturn Vue Greenline, Tahoe Hybrid, Malibu Hybrid – continue to be listed on their corporate website as having “limited availability”. I should expect that given the direct incursions of Toyota on their territory (pick-ups, cross-overs) that they would tout their market success of their hybrids. But they’re not – they report no sales figures (yet). The bottom line is that while GM’s intention is to be a leader, it currently does not have a record of leadership (or at least gains) in this segment.
• Phased roll-out: Micky admitted to me that GM has plans for 8 hybrids to be released by the end of the year (they currently have 5 – Vue, Aura, Malibu, Tahoe, Yukon? – not sure if that’s the fifth or the 2-Mode Vue). This means that they have another three annoucements through the remainder of the year. Their plans, however, is to continue to announce a new hybrid model on a quarterly basis. While that might sound a bit measured, it makes sense from the standpoint of building out a supply base. This should give their suppliers the opportunity to scale production and manage the roll-out in an organized manner. That’s good for consumers too.

Marty Hogan, Vehicle Chief Engineer, Saturn Vue

Marty had a similar upbeat attitude about the Saturn Vue’s future. There were three big take-aways from this conversation:

• All options on the table – The Vue is an interesting case in that they have announced all types power trains – V6, Hybrid, 2-Mode Hybrid, PHEV. The Vue, then, seems to have a great platform upon which to develop these technologies. That means extra pressure on Marty and his team to continue to make new options viable.
• Underweighting opportunities – While improving the mass of the vehicle isn’t a primary concern, Marty did note that there are still lots of opportunities for accomplishing this task. Many they have taken advantage of – light metals like Aluminum and Magnesium in specific applications. But as new material options become available for say, seats, or noise management materials they should be able to create some additional value.
• Fuel use at a max – Interestingly, Marty seemed to also indicate that there’s not a whole lot of means for getting additional energy just out of a traditional gasoline engine. He noted that there’s a lot of efficiency that can be gotten out of integrating engine system controls such as those found on the two-mode hybrid system. A PHEV Vue is also an interesting development. But at the moment, every new development from here on out will be a new feat of engineering – not an incremental one of yesteryear.

GreenCarCongress reported on a study conducted by Argonne National Labs that tested, under controlled conditions , the efficiency and GHG emissions of various power trains.  The end result is a list showing the energy/mile for each of these options.

(Shorter bars are better)

This is the first time I’ve seen a power train comparison such as this. I’m actually very impressed with the performance of several of the technologies here, including PHEVs. I’ve been very negative on PHEVs in the past – not because there’s anything wrong with them, but I think they’re only a niche solution that addresses the needs of a rather small population. But this study is a big thumbs up for this technology.

I’m still not a convert. The reason is that while efficiency matters, it doesn’t suit everyone’s needs. Here are some thoughts:

No Plugs
Plugging in does, apparently, make some sense. I would just never do it mainly because I rent and I park on the street – like Millions of other urban dwellers. There are no plugs.

Size matters
This test focused on very small cars. In this case, a small car’s overall weight breakdown is very different using a standard power train. So it’s no surprise that the PHEV performed so much better. This should be very useful information for European drivers who prefer smaller cars. But this type of test should also be done on sedans like the Camry and Pick-up trucks like the Ford F150. That’s what Americans buy. That type of performance would be much more informational for a car buyer.

No discussion of performance
Efficiency makes no mention of performance or utility.  What kind of car could be produced with this type of performance?  A golf cart is very efficient, but couldn’t be used in regular road conditions.  The Tesla Roadster is very fast and small – two things that a family wouldn’t value in a car.  So what’s the reality behind these numbers?

What sticks out the most in this chart is that there are a lot of good alternatives for the status quo that could make a difference.  While the PHEV scored big in these tests, I think efficiency is only one variable in designing a car.  This table gives some good alternatives around which auto companies big and small can focus on creating real solutions.

(Detroit News Image)

I’ve been critical of PHEVs and EVs lately. Mostly because advocates don’t seem as though they are representative of the population at-large. I was in Chicago when this storm hit. A foot of snow came and buried everything. This image gives a small glimpse of what snow can do to a car. There are a few things to take away from it:

1) Where do I plug-in? This is a typical urban street – filled with apartment livers who park on the street. In a PHEV world, where do they plug-in? What if they forgot (like I forget to plug-in my phone every night and rely on recharging it in my car)?

2) This is pretty cold weather. I’ve seen metal bent and reshaped in temperatures this low. So the notion of a battery or electric motor scares me a bit. Will they withstand the cold. Will they stand-up to the salt (if the city could actually get around to salting).

3) Would you want to drive around with a plug-in without a gasoline engine? You can refill your gas in a few minutes. But recharging seems like hassle in weather like this.

Let’s be clear: I’m not against PHEVs or EVs. I actually think they’re great ideas that have some really great prospects. But they’re only one solution that meets only some of individuals’ needs. I have issues with their viability for many people in different walks of life. This recent Midwestern storm underscores my concern. The Midwest represents around 25% of the U.S. Population (consider also the demographics of similar climates in Asia and Europe). So it seems as the prospect of a sale of PHEVs or EVs would be tough.

If I had a choice, I’d much rather have a Chevy Tahoe in this condition (a hybrid would be fine – but I wouldn’t bother plugging in during weather like this). I only add this commentary to add to the debate. PHEVs are great – but they’re only part of a solution.