The 2010 Chevy Malibu Hybrid

GM has started to notice the dealers first today in Malibu Hybrid plans to tell them that "can not order the 2010 Malibu hybrids because of an excess of 2009 models," according to the Detroit News, while the rest of the fleet still full of orders 

       Electric and hybrid car enthusiasts who were just beginning to warm to General Motors for its recent work on plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt, which year after the film "Who Killed the Electric Car?" Skewer manufacturer to pull the plug on its electric EV-1 model can now see another reason to turn a cold shoulder: The automaker has just hit the brakes on production of a hybrid version of its Chevy Malibu 2010 . But do you ready for the battle yet.

       Under pressure from the Obama administration to demonstrate innovation and commitment to cleaner cars, and meet tight deadlines to increase the average fuel consumption of its queue, GM did not taken lightly the decision to adopt a model that can strengthen those powers. After all, GM had enough faith in the power and enhancing the Malibu hybrid, which then-CEO Rick Wagoner is mounted in the model as the way to Capitol Hill last year as part of a quest for funds rescue. So why drag GM Malibu Hybrid 2010-programming?

       In short, the Malibu hybrid does not "pay rent" (ie, to obtain a significant profit) - a new requirement for all vehicles in the lineup GM CEO Fritz Henderson said in his first day at work, when The administration has asked Wagoner to resign. Society can no longer afford to rely on higher-margin SUVs and trucks with a profit - even smaller, more fuel efficient and low-margin vehicles historically have got to maintain healthy margins. According to the report in the Wall Street Journal today, GM says the 2009 Malibu Hybrid is basically a dead weight, poor sales and a significant delay is a lot of concessions.

        The problem is that the so-called "mild hybrid& system of the 2009 Malibu Hybrid will cost extra (about € 4,000), making a lot of fuel. four-cylinder model, which operates the gas is estimated at 22 mpg for city driving and 33 mpg on the highway and driving, but the hybrid model may be only 26 mpg city and 34 mpg highway ratings. Comparison, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is rated at 41 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, and the third generation Toyota Prius can be up to 50 mpg city and 49 mpg on the highway. The range is $ 20,000 to $ 30,000 price in which GM competes in both regular Malibu and the hybrid version, that extra $ 4,000 just did not think enough efficiency so that it's worth it. Since the blog Car Connection said this morning, "a mild character, a mild hybrid system was his downfall.

        At that time, said spokeswoman Kristin Rogers, GM is working on a next-generation hybrid system GM will be more profitable, powerful and has a wider application of the vehicle, to start new models, from 2011 North America. As we enter the next-generation technologies," said Henderson at the end of March, taking note of the Volt from GM and programming flex-fuel and hybrid cars as examples, which requires the money. It requires investment. "When we wrote that suggested an awareness that GM would have to address and increase profits through the complete program to finance the further development of the Volt.

        With the suspension of the Malibu Hybrid during 2010 and the reform of the hybrid system, what we see is perhaps buckling and investment in next-generation technology in action. Time will tell if GM can reinvent themselves fast enough to actually compete for significant market share - and no more trips to the Capitol.