These days, auto safety recalls don’t get much attention, so the news that General Motors was recalling 9,000 of its 2007 Saturn mild hybrids to replace the high-voltage battery pack in each one was no more than a blip in the press. But behind the scenes, it was an expensive and annoying distraction for General Motors, and a huge blow to Cobasys, makers of the nickel-metal-hydride batteries. For six months now, GM has been forced to divert batteries it should have fitted to this year’s mild hybrids toward its dealers’ repair bays instead.
A General Motors spokesperson told Automotive News that the company planned to sell 27,000 mild hybrid vehicles this year, but is falling short because its supplier, Cobasys, provided faulty batteries. In an exclusive interview with HybridCars.com, a Cobasys executive—who asked not to be named—responded to GM statements and press reports, saying, “A lot of it is not correct," but declined to elaborate further.
Get ready for a wave of hybrid press releases coming from Detroit’s North American International Auto Show, running from January 13-27 January. The first two announcements to hit the wire are about “two-mode” hybrid SUVs from General Motors and BMW. If these vehicles seem familiar, it’s because the underlying technology has been in development for years—and has been trotted out at previous auto shows. In fact, a hybrid Saturn Vue was first announced at the Detroit Auto Show in 2003.
January 6, 2008
GM commenced production for the 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid at its state-of-the-art facility in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. The SUV will be the first hybrid vehicle to be manufactured South of the Border. The new Vue Green Line uses 27 percent less fuel than a conventional gasoline-powered Vue.
via Associated Press
Dec. 2, 2007
