Hybrids get thumbs up

In a deal that has been hailed as a major vote of confidence for hybrid drive systems, GM, DaimlerChrysler and BMW have announced that they are to collaborate on the technology at a new Hybrid Development Centre in Michigan.

With fuel costs soaring, the link between two of the world’s ‘big three’ car manufacturers and one of Europe’s largest automotive groups suggests hybrids are poised to enter the mainstream sooner rather than later.

The partners will pool their expertise to develop a ‘two-mode’ hybrid system that, it is claimed, will provide the performance and environmental benefits of hybrid technology in both stop-start city traffic and on motorways. Other hybrid drives, such as that used on the Toyota Prius, save fuel in stop- and-go traffic, but are generally regarded to be less efficient at high speeds.

The proposed system will essentially be an enhanced version of technology that has already been developed by GM’s hybrid researchers for use on its diesel-hybrid transit buses. This will be tweaked and tailored by the three companies for their own specific applications.