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New Cadillac Escalade hybrid includes White Marsh-made parts
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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - On the outside, the 2009 Cadillac Escalade unveiled to the public Wednesday looks like just another gas-guzzling behemoth.
But under the hood, the newest version of GM’s popular high-end SUV offers the latest in hybrid technology, including components made locally at the GM Powertrain’s Baltimore Transmission Plant in White Marsh.
“It allows our plant to participate in a range of new vehicles including the new Escalade,” plant manager Tom Gallagher said. “It’s quite a unique package and it maintains the full capability of a premium, full-size SUV.”
The Escalade joins GMC’s Tahoe and Yukon as one of the first large-size vehicles to use hybrid technology. All three contain the GM Hybrid 2MODE transmission, built at the White Marsh plant.
The Escalade will get about 20 miles per gallon in both city and highway driving, a 50 percent increase in fuel efficiency over its current city mileage, according to GM. Pricing for the hybrid version has not been officially announced; the regular starts at just under $57,000.
GM announced earlier this month that it would close four SUV and pickup truck plants, citing a “permanent” change in consumer demand away from large vehicles and toward fuel-efficient options like hybrids. The company said it planned to move from a 50-50 production mix between cars and larger trucks to 60-40 in favor of smaller cars.
But hybrid versions of its premiere trucks and SUVs are also part of that mix. While competitors such as Toyota have offered smaller hybrid vehicles like the Prius, Gallagher said there’s still a place for the passenger capacity and towing capability of SUVs.
“Clearly they’re very much different product offerings, different product niches, but we believe there’s a range of customers,” he said. “In the case of large-size SUVs, we feel customers want to retain the full capabilities and also have increased fuel economy.”
The hybrid Escalade won’t hit the market until August, but there’s already been interest from customers. At Frankel Cadillac Pontiac GMC in Owings Mills, there’s already a waiting list 12 people long for the hybrid model, said Kevin Rawls, the dealer’s new-vehicle manager.
“[Sales have] been a little slower with the SUVs, but the hybrids have really helped us out,” Rawls said. “A lot of it is the political correctness. That yes, they’re driving a big SUV, but it’s a hybrid.”
acahall@baltimoreexaminer.com
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Bob/Middle River said:
The big "3" should have seen this comming. I do not feel sorry for them. They continued after all the warning signs to keep producing the gas guzzlers. They have hardly done anything to build a good high millage vehicle. So they produced the Hummers and other "Big block" low millage vehicles all so the American public can keep their relationship with the car and truck.Do you remember the Geo's, The Neons and others? Where are they now to help the American manufacturers in the gas price crunch? They were pushed out of the way for the simple higher profits not for common sense but for to simply put it GREED! They may not have had a huge pay back,But they would still be in a position to keep people working and not going possibly out of busuness.
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Examiner Reader said:
Gee...I wonder how much the year end bonus will increase for CEO Fritz after this announcement?
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Examiner Reader said:
Non-biomass waste-to-energy is not zero waste.
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