Of all companies Chrysler has come up with the best solution I have seen yet. A plug in hybrid mini-van. The range on pure electric is 30-35 miles, then you fire up the standard size gas engine and drive on. For the gas guzzling stop and go traffic that would be great for us. Half of our driving is less than twenty miles. The other half sixty miles.
Rhino 554, Ford 550 TLB (JD X500, MTD, Gilson riding mowers) Ford 3000-Sold
Wonder if GM using an Up-sized Voltec style set up from what they have learned from building the Chevy Volts and the Malibu plug in hybrid.
My guess is they have learned enough to build a truck that can achieve much better hi-way mileage than gas only trucks.
The Malibu plug in smokes the mileage achievable with it's gas only variants and the Volts charge sustaining mode when driven in Hybrid mode on long hiway trips (by a full 5 MPG).
Maybe they have figured out how to keep the short range capabilities of the range extended Voltec (Volt) system and mastered combining the charge sustaining mode of the PHEV Malibu for the new GM PHEV trucks.
Possibility of a new Full size GM pickup with 35 MPG hiway and gas free commuter trips to 40 miles and a combined torque of say 500lb ft. in sport hybrid mode.
Should be interesting to see what they will ultimately come up with.
ps. lithium ion batteries have enjoyed a 79% drop in price costs since 2010 (from a new Forbes article) which should make integrating battery storage less expensive than in the past.
What will be just as interesting as the vehicle specs is - - 1) price 2) what lending institution will provide the financing. I see an eight or ten year loan at 5% to 8% interest.
