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DETROIT -- The board of General Motors Corp. on Friday empowered Chairman Rick Wagoner to lead the automaker's upcoming talks on a potentially historic global alliance with Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co.
Activist shareholder Kirk Kerkorian welcomed the decision as a "good first step," but wasn't entirely satisfied. He pressed the GM board Friday to form its own committee and hire outside advisers to help evaluate an alliance with Renault-Nissan.
Activist shareholder Kirk Kerkorian welcomed the decision as a "good first step," but wasn't entirely satisfied. He pressed the GM board Friday to form its own committee and hire outside advisers to help evaluate an alliance with Renault-Nissan.
This combined with the GM/Daimler-Chrysler/BMW two-stage hybrid consortiums tech. could make for some very interesting cars from all concerned. This features two 60 kW (80 hp) DC electric motors inside the transmission, making it relatively simple to 'hybridize' existing models.
Also: the 2-stages tranny will be a '6 speed/mode'; 4 fixed gears overlaying 2 ECVT modes for a total of six operating functions:
* Input-split ECVT mode, or continuously variable Mode 1, operates from vehicle launch through the second fixed gear ratio.
* Compound-split ECVT mode, or continuously variable Mode 2, operates after the second fixed gear ratio.
* First fixed-gear ratio with both electric motors available to boost the internal combustion engine or capture and store energy from regenerative braking, deceleration and coasting.
* Second fixed-gear ratio with one electric motor available for boost/braking,
* Third fixed-gear ratio with two electric motors available for boost/braking.
* Fourth fixed-gear ratio with one electric motor available for boost/braking.
Existing internal combustion engines can be used with relatively minimal alteration because the full hybrid system imposes no significant limitation on the size or type of engine. It enables the three global automakers to package internal combustion engines with the full hybrid transmissions more cost-effectively and offer the fuel-saving technology across a wider range of vehicles.
Initial applications are suitable for front-engine, rear- and four-wheel-drive vehicle architectures, but the full hybrid system has the flexibility to be used in front-engine, front-wheel-drive architectures in the future as well.
Initial applications are suitable for front-engine, rear- and four-wheel-drive vehicle architectures, but the full hybrid system has the flexibility to be used in front-engine, front-wheel-drive architectures in the future as well.
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