General Motors Corp (GM) has begun work on a plug-in hybrid power system for its Saturn Vue sport utility vehicle that could save on gasoline use, chief executive Rick Wagoner said at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
He offered no timetable on when it will be available, however.
Wagoner also said GM will start offering versions of its Hummer models that could run on biofuel within three years. The Hummers have become a lightning rod for critics who say they are energy inefficient.
"By developing alternative sources of energy and propulsion, we have the chance to mitigate many of the issues surrounding energy availability," he said in a speech on Wednesday at the auto show.
Hybrid vehicles have both electric and gasoline-powered systems. They lower gas consumption by shutting off the engine while idling, giving the vehicle a boost of electric power during acceleration and capturing electrical energy when the vehicle is braking.
GM already produces a hybrid Saturn vehicle -- the Vue Green Line SUV -- which the automaker says gets 8.7 liters per 100km in the city and 7.3 liters on the highway. The comparable conventional-engine Vue is rated at 10.7 liters in the city and 8.7 liters on the highway.
With a plug-in hybrid power system, batteries can also be recharged by plugging them into an electrical outlet.
GM has been promoting the Vue Green Line as a less expensive alternative to hybrids already on the market from Toyota Motor Corp and Ford Motor Co. The Green Line's hybrid system adds about US$2,000 to the cost of a Saturn Vue, compared with a premium of US$3,500 or more for other hybrids.
In Washington, Toyota North American president Jim Press said the Japanese automaker was "really enthused that the industry and other auto companies are embracing this technology."
Toyota has expressed interest in developing plug-in hybrids and Press said the company's lead in hybrid sales "gives us an advantage."
GM's long-term goal remains the development and production of hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicles, Wagoner said.
"We continue to make significant progress in this area, and we continue to see fuel cells as the best long-term solution for reducing our dependence on oil," he said.
Wagoner said that according to the Energy Department the world will need about 70 percent more energy from 2003 to 2030, and oil alone will not be able to handle the increase.
"For the global auto industry, this means that we must -- as a business necessity -- develop alternative sources of propulsion based on alternative sources of energy in order to meet the world's growing demand for our products," he said.
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