gm reportedly cancels luxury hybrid - 3.7 volt rechargeable lithium ion battery
General Motors canceled its plan to develop the plug.
Three people with direct knowledge of the project said that in hybrid vehicles based on the current Cadillac SRX crossover platform, it was decided that the project was not financially feasible.
While two sources said the plans could still be restarted on future platforms, they and two other people familiar with the matter said the engineers had been reassigned to other projects.
Cadillac plug-
Most of the same technology GM has developed for its batteries
The electric Chevrolet Volt, after its bankruptcy and government bailout in 2009, has been at the heart of the automaker's efforts to persuade consumers to turn things around.
Reuters spoke to six people about GM's decision.
Since the project has never been made public by the company, they cannot be named.
GM officials declined to discuss plans for the company.
"I will not comment on specific product or application time, but we still see a technical commitment," GM spokesman Kevin Kelly said . ".
Reuters reported on December that GM was developing a Cadillac hybrid crossover, citing people with direct knowledge of the work.
In January, General Motors Chief Executive Dan Akerson said it launched
Probably a hybrid.
"But over the past two to three weeks, engineers and others involved in the project have been told that the project has been suspended.
Just this week, GM sent a cancellation email to participantsMail and thanks
You noticed, two sources said.
Executives said that since becoming CEO in September, Akerson has been more active in driving GM to electric vehicles, a strategic area where he has left his mark.
The center of the push is to launch the plug-in
In terms of hybrid technology, GM has developed a wider range of vehicles for Volt to recover the company's investment more quickly.
GM's move into electric vehicles is also aimed at seizing the green territory of Toyota.
Prius hybrid.
In the United States last year alone, Toyota sold nearly 141,000 Prius hybrids.
GM recently raised its production plan for 2012 Volt by 3 to 60,000.
Cadillac plug "better mousetrap"
In comes from an abandoned project that aims to launch a rechargeable crossover vehicle that GM considered under Buick In 2008 and 2009, and since then-
Three people familiar with the project said the Saturn brand had been scrapped.
Three sources said GM has developed a prototype of a luxury hybrid that is being tested at the company's test site. The plug-
In will be based on the current SRX platform two years ago.
In the automotive industry, the life cycle of the platform that determines the size of the vehicle and the body structure is usually about five years.
When the card cadillac plug-
Two sources said that when preparing for production, the platform will be close to the end of life, increasing the cost of developing the vehicle.
Two people who knew the project directly said the cost of the project was already high and the vehicle was expected to lose money.
GM has made engineering progress since the project was launched, so it makes more sense to focus on the next platform as it improves and costs more
Efficient Technology, said a source.
"If you go so far on a project and find a better mousetrap through engineering, should you continue to do something that may not be the best for the customer, or should you change your mind?
The source, who knows the project directly, told Reuters.
Three people familiar with the matter said that the shortage of parts after the local earthquake and tsunami on March 11 also plagued the plan, but only played a small role in GM's decision to cancel the plan.
Two sources said the quake triggered a disruption in the flow of key electronics to global automakers, resulting in a shortage of microprocessor used in luxury hybrid internal battery chargers.
But the other two insisted that the shortage of parts did not play any role in GM's decision.
GM said, "extended
Range electric vehicle technology "due to the additional range provided by traditional internal combustion engines, will be more popular with consumers than pure electric vehicles.
The voltage is 400-pound lithium-
Electric ion batteries available
Only 25 to 50 miles.
After the battery is exhausted, a 1. 4-
The gasoline engine can power cars for nearly 350 miles.