Congress, Saturn and VUE

Penske Seeking to Buy Saturn

Green Car Congress

JUNE 5, 2009

and Penske Automotive Group confirmed details of a proposed transaction under which Penske would acquire the Saturn brand. If completed, the deal would save more than 350 dealerships and 13,000 jobs at Saturn and its retailers in the United States, and would preserve the Saturn brand. General Motors Corp. Earlier post.)

Saturn

Saturn Puerto Rico Buy VUE

GM Will Apply Plug-in Hybrid Technology To One of Its Remaining Four Core Brands, Delivery Still in 2011

Green Car Congress

MAY 5, 2009

Prototype Saturn Vue PHEV plugging in to a Coulomb Chargepoint ( earlier post ) in San Jose, CA. Based on the current restructuring plan, GM is accelerating the wind-down or sale of Saturn to the end of this year. Click to enlarge. of Energy (DOE) and nonprofit Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Earlier post.).

VUE

VUE Plug-in GM Saturn

EcoCAR 3 competition to use Chevy Camaro as base vehicle

Green Car Congress

APRIL 25, 2014

For EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future, GM donated Chevrolet Malibus; for EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge, GM donated Saturn Vues; and for Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility, the company donated Chevrolet Equinoxes.

West Virginia

West Virginia Los Angeles VUE Virginia

GM Suspending 2010 Malibu Hybrid Production; Next-Generation Li-Ion Mild Hybrid Expected for 2011

Green Car Congress

JUNE 11, 2009

The Malibu hybrid shares components with two other GM mild hybrids: the Saturn Aura and Vue hybrids. Service and warranty of existing Malibu hybrids will be unaffected by the decision, as the company has an adequate supply of replacement components, including the 36/42V battery packs.

Malibu Hybrid

Malibu Hybrid 2010 VUE Saturn

GM Simplifies the Two-Mode Hybrid Transmission, Maintains Functionality for FWD Application

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 11, 2009

GM has simplified the two-mode hybrid system for application in front-wheel drive vehicles—the Saturn VUE being the first instance ( earlier post )—while retaining its functionality and capability, according to Mark Selogie, Senior Manager Power Electronics, GM Powertrain, speaking at the SAE Hybrid Symposium in San Diego (11-12 Feb).

VUE

VUE GM San Diego Hybrid

Reported US Sales of Hybrids Up 21% in November; New Vehicle Market Share of 2.7%

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 8, 2009

Sales of the Saturn VUE mild hybrid were down 31% to 134 units, for 9.8% of all VUEs sold. The Saturn Aura sold 29 units, down 17%, for 2.0% Sales of the two-mode Sierra and Silverado pickups dropped 52% to 156 units, for 0.51% of models sold. of all Malibus sold. of model sales. from the year before, representing 3.2%

Sale

Sale Hybrid VUE Saturn

US Hybrid Sales in February Drop 29%; Lower Decline Than General LDV Market

Green Car Congress

MARCH 5, 2009

The Saturn VUE hybrid posted 188 units, for 6.4% of all VUEs sold. The Saturn Aura posted 23 units, representing 1.5% The two-mode Sierra pickup joined the Silverado two-mode pickup for 47 units representing 0.2% of combined sales for all models of the two trucks. The Chevy Malibu Hybrid posted 197 units for 1.7%

GS 450h

GS 450h VUE Sale Hybrid

Ohio State University Takes Top Spot at 2009 EcoCAR Competition with EREV Design

Green Car Congress

JUNE 13, 2009

The competition challenges university engineering students across North America to re-engineer a 2009 Saturn VUE to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions while retaining the vehicle’s performance and consumer appeal. In year two of the competition, teams incorporate their unique powertrains into the Saturn VUE.

Ohio

Ohio Universal 2009 Design

US Hybrid Sales Down 45.5% in April

Green Car Congress

MAY 4, 2009

338 units of the Saturn VUE hybrid, representing 11.3% of VUE sales. 31 units of the Saturn Aura hybrid, representing 1.7% General Motors sold 1,534 hybrids in April, comprising: 523 units of the two-mode SUVs (Tahoe, Yukon, Escalade), representing 4.5% of combined sales of those models. of Malibu sales. of Aura sales.

Sale

Sale Hybrid LS 600H VUE

GM Pulls the Plug on New Buick Compact Crossover; Plug-in System to Be Applied to Another Vehicle

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 19, 2009

GM has cancelled its recently announced compact Buick crossover, which would have offered the plug-in hybrid system originally targeted for the Saturn VUE. Earlier post.).

Buick

Buick Plug-in Plug GM

GM to Debut Two-Mode Plug-in Hybrid Technology in New Buick Crossover in 2011; LG Chem to Supply the Li-ion Cells

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 6, 2009

General Motors will debut its two-mode plug-in hybrid technology—originally intended to appear first in a Saturn VUE, prior to that brand’s sale—in a new Buick crossover vehicle in 2011. The 8 kWh battery pack for the new 2011 Buick PHEV crossover vehicle is prepared for testing at the General Motors Tech Center in Warren, Michigan.

Buick

Buick Li-ion Plug-in GM

GM and Honda to establish industry-first $85M joint fuel cell system manufacturing operation in Michigan

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 30, 2017

GM and Honda earlier collaborated in a powertrain cross-supply arrangement in 1999 under which Honda manufactured 50,000 V-6 engines for the Saturn VUE and Honda received diesel engines from GM’s Isuzu affiliate for use in Europe.

Honda

Honda GM Michigan Manufacturer

UW-Madison Hybrid Vehicle Team working with Engine Research Center to apply dual-fuel RCCI engines in series and parallel hybrids

Green Car Congress

JULY 23, 2011

The first, a Saturn Vue called the eMOOve, will be a series hybrid, to be completed in 2012. Bower’s team will use ethanol instead of gasoline, and biodiesel instead of standard diesel. The team is converting two of its former competition vehicles for this purpose.

Engine

Engine Hybrid Wisconsin Fuel

US EPA Joins EcoCAR as Platinum Sponsor

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 6, 2009

The EcoCAR competition, along with its headline sponsors—the US Department of Energy (DOE) and General Motors (GM)—challenges 17 universities across the US and Canada to redesign and reengineer a 2009 Saturn VUE to further minimize fuel consumption and reduce emissions.

EPA

EPA VUE Saturn General Motors

US Hybrid Sales in March 2009 Down 44% Year-on-Year; Monthly New Vehicle Market Share of 2.5%

Green Car Congress

APRIL 3, 2009

362 units of the Saturn VUE hybrid (10.4% 26 units of the Saturn Aura hybrid (1.3% GM sold a total of 1,612 hybrids in March: 609 units of the Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade two-mode SUVs (7.3% of total sales). 68 units of the Silverado and Sierra two-mode pickups (0.22% of total sales). of total sales). of total sales).

2009

2009 LS 600H GS 450h Sale

AMP to convert 3 Saturn VUEs to battery electric powertrains for DTE Energy

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 16, 2010

will convert three of DTE Energy’s fleet Saturn VUE SUVs to battery electric powertrains. The all-electric DTE Energy fleet Saturn Vues will be powered by Amp’s exclusive modular electric powertrain system. AMP Holding Inc. Earlier post.) million Michigan homes and businesses.

VUE

VUE Saturn Convert Energy

ANL Project on Actively Coupled Ultracapacitor-Battery System for PHEVs Attracting OEM Interest

Green Car Congress

MAY 20, 2009

Results of an earlier simulation study of capacitor sizing for the system shows that a 75-100 Whr capacitor bank is appropriate for a Saturn VUE-sized PHEV. Reduced-cost EDLCs, through capacitor construction that reduces labor cost (machine assembled with fewer parts).

PHEV

PHEV Li-ion Batteries Battery

Reported US Hybrid Sales Up 5.2% Year on Year in June; 3% New Vehicle Market Share for the Month

Green Car Congress

JULY 3, 2009

GM hybrids currently comprise the Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn Aura and Vue BAS hybrids; and the Tahoe, Silverado, Yukon, Sierra, and Cadillac Escalade two-mode hybrids. Overall, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury sales for the month totaled 148,153, down 11% versus a year ago—the best performance of any of the major automakers. year-on-year.

LS 600H

LS 600H Camry Hybrid GS 450h Sale

GM Previews First Two-Mode, Front-Wheel-Drive Hybrid Transaxle

Green Car Congress

MAY 9, 2009

At the recent SAE 2009 World Congress in Detroit, General Motors engineers presented the first front-wheel-drive (FWD) iteration of their two-mode hybrid transaxle, termed the 2MT70 ( earlier post ), scheduled for its first application in the Saturn 2009 VUE 2-Mode Hybrid light sport-utility vehicle later this year ( earlier post ).

GM

GM Saturn Hybrid VUE

NREL/GM Project Finds Ultracaps Perform as Well or Better Than NiMH Pack for Energy Storage in Mild Hybrid Vehicle

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 10, 2010

A National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) project, funded by GM, found that an ultracapacitor-based energy storage system (ESS) in a Saturn VUE BAS (belt alternator starter) mild hybrid performed at least as well or better than the NiMH battery system in the production hybrid. Source: Gonder et al. Click to enlarge.

NiMH

NiMH Energy Storage VUE Saturn

Perspective: A View Into the New GM

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 30, 2009

The Saturn version of the two-mode plug-in hybrid at the Milford Proving Grounds. As part of the culling, GM has the option to re-badge vehicles from the non-core brands, such as the Pontiac G8, Opel Insignia and Saturn Vue. I was able to spend 10 minutes driving a Saturn Aura sedan with an (HCCI) engine system.

GM

GM Buick Fuel Economy Economy

How Carmakers Are Responding to the Plug-In Hybrid Opportunity

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

APRIL 21, 2009

Plans Saturn Vue PHEV-10. Aims to get Saturn Vue on road in 2010; no production goal. Lutz said GM is pushing to have Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid on the road by 2009. -- ( Autoweek ). GM will evaluate the two test batteries in prototype Saturn Vue Green Line plug-in hybrids beginning later this year. (

Plug-in

Plug-in Plug Hybrid PHEV

EV Driven

Penske Seeking to Buy Saturn

GM Will Apply Plug-in Hybrid Technology To One of Its Remaining Four Core Brands, Delivery Still in 2011

EcoCAR 3 competition to use Chevy Camaro as base vehicle

GM Suspending 2010 Malibu Hybrid Production; Next-Generation Li-Ion Mild Hybrid Expected for 2011

GM Simplifies the Two-Mode Hybrid Transmission, Maintains Functionality for FWD Application

Reported US Sales of Hybrids Up 21% in November; New Vehicle Market Share of 2.7%

US Hybrid Sales in February Drop 29%; Lower Decline Than General LDV Market

Ohio State University Takes Top Spot at 2009 EcoCAR Competition with EREV Design

US Hybrid Sales Down 45.5% in April

GM Pulls the Plug on New Buick Compact Crossover; Plug-in System to Be Applied to Another Vehicle

GM to Debut Two-Mode Plug-in Hybrid Technology in New Buick Crossover in 2011; LG Chem to Supply the Li-ion Cells

GM and Honda to establish industry-first $85M joint fuel cell system manufacturing operation in Michigan

UW-Madison Hybrid Vehicle Team working with Engine Research Center to apply dual-fuel RCCI engines in series and parallel hybrids

US EPA Joins EcoCAR as Platinum Sponsor

US Hybrid Sales in March 2009 Down 44% Year-on-Year; Monthly New Vehicle Market Share of 2.5%

AMP to convert 3 Saturn VUEs to battery electric powertrains for DTE Energy

ANL Project on Actively Coupled Ultracapacitor-Battery System for PHEVs Attracting OEM Interest

Reported US Hybrid Sales Up 5.2% Year on Year in June; 3% New Vehicle Market Share for the Month

GM Previews First Two-Mode, Front-Wheel-Drive Hybrid Transaxle

NREL/GM Project Finds Ultracaps Perform as Well or Better Than NiMH Pack for Energy Storage in Mild Hybrid Vehicle

Perspective: A View Into the New GM

How Carmakers Are Responding to the Plug-In Hybrid Opportunity

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