Plugs and Cars

JANUARY 4, 2007

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. According to the press release, two variants of Lithium batteries will be "evaluated in prototype Saturn Vue Green Line plug-in hybrids beginning later this year." Johnson Controls/SAFT, the huge battery company at which President Bush first publicly announced his support for plug-in hybrids, received one contract.

2007 100

2007 VUE Saturn Nickel Metal Hydride 100

Green Car Reports

MARCH 14, 2011

Vue redux The compact crossover that sold for only two years as the 2008 and 2009 Saturn Vue will return to the The shuttered Saturn brand is quickly fading from memory, but now GM plans to bring back one former Saturn model to live on in a new incarnation. But even if you're a Saturn fan, you won't be able to buy one--unless you're a business.

VUE 66

VUE Saturn 2011 2008 66

Hybrid SUV Blog

MAY 17, 2009

In March of 2008 we announced that the upcoming 2009 Saturn Vue hybrid, the one that would be built with GM’s 2-mode hybrid system, might possibly end up being the most popular hybrid SUV yet. Then in November 0f 2008, rumors started circulating that the 2mode Vue would be delayed or “re-timed&# and wouldn’t be launched in late ‘08, but it would instead have to wait another 3-4 months.

Saturn 40

Saturn VUE 2009 Yukon 40

Hybrid SUV Blog

FEBRUARY 1, 2009

The last time we reported on the Two Mode Saturn Vue Green Line was in March, 2008. In November, GM spokesman Brian Corbett announced that the decision had been made to re-time the launch of the 2-mode Vue from December, ‘08 to sometime during the first quarter of 2009. As we now enter February, it stands to reason that the new Vue should reach dealers in the next 60 days (unless it is re-timed again, in which case we’d likely be watching for the 2010 model).

Saturn 40

Saturn VUE Durango Aspen 40

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. AMP, a company engaged in the conversion of new vehicles to full battery-electric drive, unveiled its all-electric conversion of the GM Chevrolet Equinox earlier this year. Earlier post.)

VUE 76

VUE Saturn 2010 Michigan 76

Plugs and Cars

JULY 31, 2008

Representatives of GM stoked the clamor for the Volt, and a Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid sat on the show floor. Tags: plug-in 2008 smart car BMW mercedes electric mini electric car plug-in Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid chevy volt andy grove al gore plug-in car Once again, a conference on plug-in cars. Coming on the heels of the Google/Brookings event in Washington, D.C.,

2008 100

2008 Al Gore Plug-in Plug 100

Plugs and Cars

JANUARY 16, 2007

If the Sierra Club, NRDC, and the Union of Concerned Scientists awaken from their CAFE-induced slumber and espouse such a message as Roberts' suggests, projects awaiting commercialization from a Toyota plug-in Prius to the Saturn plug-in Vue and the Volt just might get the jolt need. Tags: union of concerned scientists electric cars urge2 plug-in hybrid chevy volt Saturn grist NRDC vue Sierra Club David Roberts is a staff writer at Grist , an online enviro magazine.

2007 100

2007 VUE Saturn Sierra 100

Plugs and Cars

SEPTEMBER 12, 2007

From the pricey ads in national magazines devoting serious space to the Volt to today's announcement about the plug-in hybrid Saturn Vue, GM is compelling me to take their expressed interest in plug-in cars seriously. As announced in Frankfort and reported in Detroit , GM hopes for a 2009 release of the first Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid SUV.

2007 100

2007 VUE Saturn GM 100

Plugs and Cars

JULY 25, 2007

Toyota said it would provide prototype versions of plug-in hybrid vehicles to researchers at the University of California, Irvine, and the University of California, Berkeley.The prototype plug-in hybrids will be powered by two oversize packs of nickel-metal hydride batteries Yesterday, in Sacramento A123Systems , the battery manufacturer being used by GM for the Vue and Volt, challenged CARB not to wait for OEM plug-ins. From today's NY Times Toyota to Test Plug-In Hybrid, Rivaling G.M.

2007 100

2007 NiMH Nickel Metal Hydride VUE 100

Plugs and Cars

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

A123 Systems , a much larger company which is providing batteries to GM for possible use in the Vue and Volt, will be showing off a plug-in hybrid powered by its Lithium batteries. Will Bush get the first view of a plug-in Vue? The Detroit News reports that an all-electric pickup and a plug-in hybrid will pay a visit to the White House today.

2007 100

2007 VUE Phoenix Detroit 100

Plug In Partners

FEBRUARY 15, 2008

General Motors is also on the plug-in bandwagon with its Saturn Vue Green Line. The Vue Green Line will get a two-mode hybrid powertrain later this year and a plug-in variant will be introduced in 2009.

2008 100

2008 Transportation North Carolina VUE 100

Hybrid SUV Blog

JANUARY 1, 2010

A $7,000 discount on a new hybrid vehicle is unheard of, but that’s essentially what you can get if you buy a 2009 Saturn Vue hybrid SUV before January 4, 2010. You might recall that the 2009 Saturn Vue was supposed to be equipped with the well publicized two-mode hybrid system, similar to what you currently find in the hybrid Tahoe, Yukon, Escalade and other hybrids from BMW and Mercedes Benz.

VUE 40

VUE Saturn Aura Yukon 40

Green Car Reports

AUGUST 21, 2009

Just two weeks ago, we reported that GM's first plug-in hybrid vehicle--originally meant to be a Saturn Vue before GM decided to sell Saturn to Pennske--would become a Buick crossover. My, how quickly things change in the new Internet world. As GM said Wednesday on its Fastlane blog, "not all the feedback was positive

VUE 53

VUE Saturn 2009 Buick 53

Plugs and Cars

NOVEMBER 29, 2006

Wagoner said GM is using the Saturn Vue hybrid sport utility vehicle to develop a plug-in hybrid, which can be re-charged from a standard electrical outlet, and will offer biofuel-capable Hummer SUVs. LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- General Motors Corp. (GM) GM) Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said Wednesday that the U.S. needs to reduce dependence on foreign energy and insisted the No.

2006 100

2006 Saturn Hummer VUE 100

Green Car Congress

MAY 5, 2009

Prototype Saturn Vue PHEV plugging in to a Coulomb Chargepoint ( earlier post ) in San Jose, CA. Saturn currently sells two hybrid vehicles (VUE and Aura with GM Hybrid System) and was scheduled to begin initially offering a two-mode hybrid Vue ( earlier post ), with a Vue plug-in two-mode hybrid version ( earlier post ) due in 2011 for use in a cooperative demonstration test fleet with the US Dept.

VUE 60

VUE Saturn 2009 EPRI 60

Hybrid SUV Blog

NOVEMBER 22, 2010

That Saturn hybrid was to be called the Vue Plug-in. The idea was to give the Vue a Buick-style grill and other design features consistent with the Buick line. According to a Motor Authority article at that time, the rebranded Vue “didn’t mesh with the Buick image.” A Buick hybrid crossover has been envisioned for several years. In early 2009, there was great fanfare that the vehicle was on the way. A few months later, it seemed the crossover would never come to be.

Buick 51

Buick VUE Saturn 2010 51

Green Car Reports

MARCH 10, 2010

While the system is being tested in a discontinued Saturn Vue crossover, it now seems likely to appear in a version of either the GMC Terrain or Chevrolet Equinox compact Recent spy shots posted by our sister site Motor Authority show that despite delays, General Motors is continuing to develop the plug-in version of its Two-Mode Hybrid system.

VUE 40

VUE Saturn GMC General Motors 40

Plugs and Cars

DECEMBER 28, 2007

GM's Vue and Volt plug-ins have no firm date to appear in showrooms. Financial Times Deutschland has a report on Th!nk nk Global. Putting a little flesh on the bones of previous reporting. 10,000 Think City electric cars in 2009. Parts manufacturing in Thailand and Turkey. As previous reported, plan is to sell the car (€25,000) and lease the battery. Zebra batteries first. Online marketing and sales.

2007 100

2007 VUE Turkey Thailand 100

Plug In Partners

JANUARY 28, 2008

W e've had the people in our shop go over the new energy bill with an eye for Plug Ins and electric transportation in general. Here is the outline of what the bill intends to do: SECTION 131 TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION SEC 131 Transportation Electrification DOE to establish competitive grants for electric vehicles and PHEVs to encourage early widespread use and advance production of electric (And PHEV) vehicles in USA. $90 90 million per year authorized (2008-2012).

2008 100

2008 PHEV Energy Saturn 100

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). The two-mode VUE, which goes on sale later this year, will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 7.5 Simplified schematic of different hybrid systems.

VUE 60

VUE 2009 San Diego Saturn 60

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. For the Saturn VUE study, NREL selected off-the-shelf Maxwell 48 V, 165 F modules (each with around 35 Wh usable).

NiMH 98

NiMH 2010 VUE Saturn 98

Green Car Congress

JUNE 11, 2009

The Malibu hybrid shares components with two other GM mild hybrids: the Saturn Aura and Vue hybrids. Although GM is committed to delivering MY 2010 Saturn Aura and Vue vehicles as part of its Memorandum of Understanding with Saturn buyer Penske Automotive Group, no decision has been made as to whether or not hybrid variants of those two vehicles will be offered for that year.

Aura 60

Aura Saturn VUE Malibu Hybrid 60

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. General Motors is continuing its partnership with the US Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory for the EcoCAR 3 collegiate advanced vehicle technology competition.

2014 80

2014 West Virginia VUE Saturn 80

Hybrid SUV Blog

NOVEMBER 8, 2009

Saturn Vue (2,280). 2009 won’t end up being a record year for hybrid vehicle sales, but considering the circumstances it would be fair to say that hybrids have held their own. Even though they demand a premium over their non-hybrid counterparts, when compared to similar vehicles equipped with standard gasoline engines, hybrids continue to be a bright area within a mostly hazy car market. In the battle for best selling hybrid SUV of 2009 (U.S.),

2009 43

2009 RX400H Highlander VUE 43

Hybrid SUV Blog

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

As of the time of this writing, buyers in the market for a hybrid sport utility have eleven (11) vehicles to choose from (not including hyrids that have been discontinued such as the Durango, Vue, Aspen and Tribute). Based on what people are searching for on HybridSUV.com and the keyword searches driving traffic from search engines, we recently created a one-page document to help our visitors compare hybrid SUVs. We call this the Hybrid SUV Comparison Chart.

Durango 40

Durango Tribute Aspen VUE 40

Plugs and Cars

DECEMBER 22, 2006

As underscored last month when GM announced it would build a plug-in hybrid version of its Saturn Vue, the logic of electric propulsion is compelling. There is more to Dan Neil's recent LA Times column than a favorable review of yet another gasoline-only hybrid. He likes the Nissan Altima Hybrid well enough. Calls it a "Camry hybrid in tight jeans." More important, Neil says, is that it comes from an automaker that had scoffed at "hybridization."

2006 100

2006 VUE Altima Hybrid Saturn 100

Hybrid SUV Blog

JANUARY 17, 2010

Rounding out the list were the Saturn Vue hybrid and the Mercury Mariner hybrid. It’s January and the 2010 car season is officially in full swing now that the doors have opened at the North American International Auto Show. Manufacturers have long since made their plans for the vehicles we will see this year and they are now testing the waters with several new concepts including hybrids and electrics.

Highlander 40

Highlander Tribute VUE Lexus 40

Hybrid SUV Blog

AUGUST 17, 2009

The announcement from General Motors that the technology once planned for the Saturn Vue will now instead end up in a Buick came as a huge shock to me. Can this really be true? From a brand that once owned the older car buyer market, that tried so hard to reinvent itself by latching on to Tiger Woods, will come Detroit’s first plug-in hybrid SUV?

Buick 40

Buick Plugin Saturn VUE 40

Hybrid SUV Blog

MARCH 17, 2009

It originally arrived on the scene in 2008 to compete with Ford’s Escape hybrid and the Saturn Vue hybrid; however it has its own characteristics that set it apart and make it great for someone looking for a fuel-efficient hybrid SUV. Although the Mazda Tribute hybrid is currently only being sold in California, it is likely only a matter of time before you see this small SUV in local dealerships.

Tribute 40

Tribute 2009 Mazda VUE 40

Hybrid SUV Blog

JUNE 6, 2010

We lost green versions of the Durango, Aspen, and Vue - the Tribute might as well be gone, and rumors are now circulating that Ford may kill their Mercury brand, meaning the hybrid Mariner could also soon be history. Where do we go from here? If you read the article last week about 2010 hybrid sport utility vehicle prices , you know that your total number of hybrid SUV options has decreased over the past two years.

Durango 40

Durango Tribute Aspen VUE 40

Green Car Congress

MARCH 5, 2009

The Saturn VUE hybrid posted 188 units, for 6.4% of all VUEs sold. Reported sales of hybrids. Click to enlarge. Reported sales of light-duty hybrids in the US dropped 29% by volume in February year-on-year to 16,020 units. The decline in hybrids was less than the 41% decline in the overall light-duty vehicle market for the month. New hybrid sales represented 2.3% of the new vehicle market, essentially flat with the January 2009 results. In February 2008, hybrids held 1.9%

GS 450h 65

GS 450h 2009 Aura Highlander 65

Plugs and Cars

AUGUST 18, 2007

Contracts for lithium batteries for the plug-in hybrid Saturn Vue and the Chevrolet Volt have received much press. A few items before I head out to Black Rock City for two weeks. Out in the desert as part of Burning Man , our encampment, Snow Koan Solar, is setting up a solar photovoltaic EV Charging Station (at 7:30 and Desert) for electric scooters, golf carts, sofas and barstools.

2007 100

2007 Think City Google NiMH 100

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 ). Design parameters of the current design include a 50% improvement in EPA composite fuel economy as compared to a conventional Saturn VUE, as well as a 7.5

2009 87

2009 Saturn VUE Wind 87

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

APRIL 21, 2009

General Motors has announced its intention to mass-produce two PHEVs -- a Saturn VUE SUV, and the Chevy Volt, a series hybrid (where only the electric motor powers the wheels and the gasoline engine recharges the batteries). About CalCars Plug-In Hybrids FAQ How to Get a PHEV Where PHEVs are Car-Makers Say.

Plugin 50

Plugin PHEV 2009 EPRI 50

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. Reported US sales of hybrids. Click to enlarge. Reported US sales of hybrids rose 21% year-on-year by volume in November 2009 to 20,003 units. Overall light-duty vehicle sales were essentially flat for the month, according to figures from Autodata, with 746,928 units sold in November 2009, compared to 746,789 units in November 2008. Reported hybrid sales thus represented a 2.7%

2009 74

2009 VUE Saturn Aura 74

Hybrid SUV Blog

MAY 28, 2010

Hybrid sport utility vehicles have been around for about 5-6 years now (the first was the 2005 hybrid Ford Escape that went on sale in 2004) and while there once were several more to choose from (including the hybrid Dodge Durango, hybrid Saturn Vue, hybrid Chrysler Aspen and the hybrid Mazda Tribute), you still have a decent selection to consider today.

2010 40

2010 SUV Durango Price 40

Green Car Congress

JUNE 5, 2009

GM would continue production, on a contract basis, of the Saturn Aura, Vue and Outlook. General Motors Corp. 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.

Saturn 60

Saturn Puerto Rico 2009 Aura 60

Green Car Congress

MAY 4, 2009

338 units of the Saturn VUE hybrid, representing 11.3% of VUE sales. Monthly US sales of hybrids. Click to enlarge. 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. Total LDV sales in the US were down 34.4%. Earlier post.).

2009 69

2009 LS 600H Aura GS450H 69

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.). In a post on GM’s FastLane blog, Tom Stephens, GM Vice Chairman, who announced the compact two weeks ago, said initial feedback from employees, potential customers, dealers, media, analysts and others on the proposed new compact was consistent and negative.

2009 68

2009 VUE Saturn Buick 68

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

APRIL 21, 2009

Automaker Description and summary of official statements Status of production AFS Trinity Prototype of lithium battery + supercapacitor combination for licensing by carmakers With Ricardo, two prototype conversions of Saturn Vue hybrid to XH-150 PHEV-40s Aptera Futuristic lightweight $30,000 3-wheel vehicles in development Taking deposits in CA on series-PHEV 2010 version to follow electric version in 2009. Plans Saturn Vue PHEV-10.

2009 39

2009 PHEV Toyota Nickel Metal Hydride 39

Green Cars News

JUNE 15, 2009

The competition has challenged university engineering students to re-engineer a 2009 Saturn VUE to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions while retaining performance and consumer appeal. The next stage of the competition will see students use their powertrains in the Saturn VUE, while the third year focuses on refining the vehicles to near showroom quality.

Ohio 34

Ohio VUE Saturn Mississippi 34

Hybrid SUV Blog

JUNE 10, 2009

I’m guessing this is a soft launch and that we will see the full link soon, but for now you can follow the hybrid SUV comparison link (default is Escape hybrid compared to Vue hybrid compared to Highlander hybrid) and then you can modify the comparison vehicles. There comes a time during the research process when you’ve narrowed your options to two or three hybrid vehicles and you simply want to see them in a side-by-side comparison.

2009 40

2009 Highlander Escape VUE 40

Hybrid SUV Blog

JUNE 3, 2009

I was really hoping for a 2-mode Saturn Vue hybrid , but that’s not going to happen now.). Hybrid sport utility vehicles may be the best overall choice for consumers and auto manufacturers alike. While there are plenty of groups and individuals who would profess quite the opposite opinion, each time I go looking for a new vehicle (or a new, used vehicle) I come to the same conclusion. Hybrid SUVs end up at the top of my list.

2009 40

2009 Escape VUE Baltimore 40