Was it that hard? They already had the EV-1 so I don’t know why it’s taking them so long to develop plug-in cars.

CAN’T WAIT TO GET MY HANDS ON THIS BEAST!!!! YAWN………………………..WHY BOTHER?????

the EV1 wasnt a plug in car. it was also of limited range and wasnt sold nationwide. It was a science experiment. This is going to be a real mass market plug in SUV. If it was easy to do this Toyota would have introduced one already.

At first I though “10 miles? What’s the point?”, but this actually makes a lot of sense. Range per battery charge is not that important if you can recharge the battery on-the-fly using OTHER electric systems. I like this two-mode from GM and the potential it has.

SUV’s would not be viable method of transportation in the near future if it wasn’t for inventions like these.

Veda, how would they not be viable? Are they going to stop functioning or something? While a PHEV Vue is nice, Suburban has sold for decades and will continue to sell. When a vehicle is produced to fill a need rather than a desire, it will always be viable.

Only problem for me is I would have to pay my electric company instead of my local gas station. I have some of the highest electricity rates in the country where I live, so a plug-in hybrid may end up costing me more than just running on gasoline!

It would be interesting to see how the operating costs work out, factoring cost of gasoline and cost of electricity to charge these plug-in hybrids. For those with expensive electricity costs, it may not make economic sense.

The best setup would be able to charge your batteries using solar panels on your house – but unless you work night shifts, this won’t work for the average commuter as it will be dark out when the car is home charging.

i like it about time. and for everyone out there GM did it before Toyota twice.

well sauid, frylock350. What the recent fuel prices have done is flush out buyers who just want to drive a big vehicle. There were TONS of soccer moms etc. who bought a Suburban, but didn’t need a Suburban – they just wanted to drive something big that was cooler than a minivan. Those buyers have gone away due to fuel costs, and they are now flocking to smaller crossovers. But the core Suburban buyer NEEDS the vehicle to haul people, stuff, tow toys, work, go offroad, etc. These are the same buyers who have bought Suburbans for the last 75 years, and they will continue to buy Suburbans if they need it, no matter what the fuel cost. This doesn’t mean Suburban buyers wouldn’t appreciate lower fuel costs, and so I think in the near future the popularity of the 2-mode hybrid and diesel powertrains will increase substantially. I own the last year a diesel Suburban was made, I love it for what I need it for, and I plan to buy another diesel Suburban when they make another one (probably in 2010 or 2011). I didn’t buy the truck because I wanted to drive a big vehicle (I actually hated SUV’s before buying this). I bought it because I need it to support my lifestyle (major home improvement, towing my boat, hauling stuff, skiing).

Z06, what I understand about solar panel systems is that there is a storage tank in the house for the energy gathered by the panels so it can be used at any time throughout the day. Also, in some states (maybe all), power companies must purchase solar/wind energy (that you can’t hold in your tank), back into their power grid. This would be nice for secondary properties or when you go on vaction…

This is great to see!

See, even though GM is ten years behind the Prius in terms of a calendar, they’re not gonna be ten years behind in terms of technology. Reverse engineering and a lot of dollars and good ol’ American innovation thrown towards hybrids and alt fuels, and we’re starting to see the results.

storage tank = battery (above post)

Again, unless that electricity comes from nuke, wind, solar, or hydro, you are not doing the world any favors. And like another poster said, unless you have cheap electric rates, it also could cost you more than just putting in the gas for that 10 miles…

Big deal my daughter got a plug-in Jeep for X-mas. It only seats one(65# max) and has a range of 1.5 miles. It must have been cheap my mother in-law bought it.

Incredible. This is what really helps the Earth or whatever. Using NO gasoline. Perfect for people that live close to work. Like me.

Ignorance abounds … electricity rates are nowhere near gas prices to “fill” your car, not even close … do some research.

And solar panels don’t only operate by directly sourcing energy to end use … batteries store energy … I can’t believe some of the fools here, ignoring the usual brain dead like ‘Limp Penis’.

There’s plenty of very cheap electricity available off-peak hours that wouldn’t tax the system. For those not working at 4 am, fill ‘er up, cheap.

This is like watching a horse race now with so many manufacturers within a year or two of a plug in hybrid. Like someone else pointed out on another thread, however, cars and light vehicles only account for about 15% of our fossil fuel consumption. Once this technology gets rolling, there are a lot of other applications (commercial vehicles for example) where an even more significant impact could be made.

Hey, LP640, if this Vue DOES come to production, will you admit you were wrong?

This is very good idea. Especially in “lower” states where there are no ill-effects of winter. I doubt you can drive 10 miles in winter in Maine or New Hampshire.
However, every little bit helps. I heard that Toyota promised plug-in in 2010 (Prius). Now it is the race who will be there first. The question for the homeowner: which manufacturer will not set house on fire by using vehicle charger. There is a whole new chapter in consumer law litigation being written as we dream.

Wow, there’s something most of us never thought of, autonut. Though neither, I’m sure, does it shock anyone to hear lawyers are involved.

Good god! Quit worrying about fires started by charging, and flooded electric cars shocking people. There are plenty of gas vehicle fires daily that KILL people and destroy property. These issues are no different when you simply change the fuel. Fires will happen and thats life with either gas or electric drive.

another way to deploy the best cute-ute ever.