The 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid looks nothing like the NASA space shuttle, yet it’s a similar leap into the future, and a similar collaboration among a bunch of science guys made it happen.
This full-size SUV can still haul seven or eight passengers plus cargo, and tow up to 6,000 pounds. Yet the only different thing you’ll notice about driving it, is the number of fuel stations you can pass by without feeling the need to top off the gas tank. Two-mode hybrids aren’t exactly new. GM has had the two-mode hybrid system working in transit buses since 2003. Today, about 700 of those buses are operating in 60 cities in North America and have just been introduced in Europe.
But the Tahoe represents the technology’s first application to a personal-size vehicle.The two-mode hybrid is a complex integration of electric motors, high-performance electronics, wiring, energy management and hybrid-system control units. As a result, GM had a devil of a time trying to help us understand why this two-mode hybrid technology is better than existing hybrids. A hybrid powertrain requires more airflow for cooling, so the front grille and front airdam have been suitably modified. Meanwhile the front fascia, running boards and rear spoiler have been reconfigured for a more slippery aerodynamic profil. As a result, the Tahoe Hybrid now has a 0.34 Cd (coefficient drag) , compared to the conventional version’s 0.39 Cd.Since the new hybrid powertrain adds about 400 pounds to the Tahoe’s curb weight, there are a number of useful measures to reduce the vehicle’s weight. The hood and rear liftgate are now aluminum. The front bucket seats are thinner, though they turn out to be just as comfortable and improve rear-seat legroom by a fraction. Look at some we have in stock.
So that’s why Chevy is an American Revolution.
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