Buick Regal 2012, hybrid technology
The numbers are finally in for the gas-saving hybrid technology going into Buick's 2012 LaCrosse, and General Motors says it will result in a 25% fuel mileage boost.
General Motors is offering its eAssist hybrid technology as an option on the 2012 Buick Regal sedan, improving its fuel economy by 25%, to 37 m.p.g. on the highway.
A study by the department, released Tuesday, concludes that manufacturers are already planning to produce about one million electric vehicles by 2015. Obama, who wants to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil, is proposing improvements to existing tax credits, investments in research and development and a new grant program to encourage communities to invest in electric vehicle infrastructure.
General Motors today said it will bring hybrid technology to Buick models that will improve fuel efficiency by about 25 percent using what GM calls "light electrification."
The powertrain, called eAssist, uses a lithium ion battery with high power but relatively little storage capacity. Like a traditional hybrid, the battery will help propel the car with up to 11 kilowatts of power from a stopped position and store energy from braking.
We're also trying to lead with this more foundational approach," said Steve Poulos, GM's global chief engineer for mild hybrid and battery electric powertrains. With the 2012 Regal with eAssist, GM estimates the fuel economy will be 26 miles per gallon in city driving and 37 miles per gallon on the highway, which is a 25 percent improvement over the 4-cylinder 2011 powertrain.
Buick has announced a second eAssist vehicle for 2012, with this Regal joining the previously announced LaCrosse version. eAssist is essentially a (very) mild hybrid system, in that it can’t propel the car by itself.
Buick says the system swells the car’s fuel economy to an impressive 26 mpg city and 37 highway; for comparison, the 2011 Regal posts EPA ratings of 18/30 with the same 2.4-liter four sans eAssist. The 65-pound battery pack eats into cargo capacity a bit, leeching 3.2 cubic feet from the non-eAssist Regal’s 14.3-cube trunk. The eAssist is a regular Regal in nearly every other regard. As mentioned, the eAssist has the same 182-hp, 172-lb-ft direct-injection 2.4-liter as the base model (a 2.0-liter turbo four is optional in other Regals, but not the eAssist), and it also carries over the six-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission found in other 2.4-liter models, albeit with some internal tweaks and revised gearing. Like more robust hybrids, this car has an engine stop/start system and fuel cut-off during deceleration.
