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Junkyard Find: 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line

The Truth About Cars

Honda beat everybody to the production gasoline-electric hybrid game in the United States, putting the Insight in showrooms in 1999. Toyota followed with the Prius a year later, but it took GM until 2006 to introduce its first true gasoline-electric hybrid here. The Vue's platform outlived Saturn and still lives today, though.

VUE 91
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Toward a Plug-in Hybrid Saturn Vue

Plugs and Cars

GM today announced two contracts to "design and test lithium-ion batteries" for use in the Saturn Vue Plug-in Hybrid announced last month at the LA Auto Show. Johnson Controls/SAFT, the huge battery company at which President Bush first publicly announced his support for plug-in hybrids, received one contract.

VUE 100
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GM Suspending 2010 Malibu Hybrid Production; Next-Generation Li-Ion Mild Hybrid Expected for 2011

Green Car Congress

General Motors has announced that there will be no retail production of the Chevrolet Malibu hybrid for model year (MY) 2010 due to “elevated inventory levels of the 2009 model.” A limited amount of 2010 Malibu hybrids may be produced to fulfill fleet sales requests. 2008 Malibu hybrid. Click to enlarge. Jack Rosebro.

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

Green Car Congress

Prototype Saturn Vue PHEV plugging in to a Coulomb Chargepoint ( earlier post ) in San Jose, CA. In a post on GM’s FastLane blog, Vice Chairman Tom Stephens said that the company will apply plug-in hybrid technology to one of the four core brands remaining after the restructuring: Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. Click to enlarge.

VUE 150
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Reported US Sales of Hybrids Up 21% in November; New Vehicle Market Share of 2.7%

Green Car Congress

Reported US sales of hybrids. Reported US sales of hybrids rose 21% year-on-year by volume in November 2009 to 20,003 units. Reported hybrid sales thus represented a 2.7% Reported hybrid sales thus represented a 2.7% For the first 11 months of 2009, hybrids have held a 2.8% Hybrid share of new vehicle sales.

Sale 210
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GM Simplifies the Two-Mode Hybrid Transmission, Maintains Functionality for FWD Application

Green Car Congress

Simplified schematic of different hybrid systems. The RWD version of the two-mode used to power the full-size SUV and pickup hybrid models incorporates two motors, three planetary gearsets and four clutches. The two-mode VUE, which goes on sale later this year, will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 7.5 Click to enlarge.

VUE 150
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US Hybrid Sales Down 45.5% in April

Green Car Congress

Monthly US sales of hybrids. Reported sales of hybrids in the US reported by Toyota, Honda, Ford, GM and Nissan dropped 45.5% year-on-year in April to 21,735, despite full month sales for the new Honda Insight and the Ford Fusion and Milan hybrids. Year-to-date in 2009, hybrids are holding a 2.4% Click to enlarge.

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