Buick Regal hybrid: A taste of GM’s future
Buick the first stop for GM’s E-Assist
Next week GM is set to launch another hybrid based off its E-Assist drive, an upgraded lithium-powered mild hybrid powertrain built off GM’s original BAS hybrid powertrain. Like the Buick LaCrosse hybrid, GM’s next hybrid will also be a Buick, the Regal.
While most Regal hybrid details won’t be revealed until next week, it’s GM’s E-Assist plans that are most interesting.
“This is the base powertrain of the future,” Steve Poulos, global chief engineer-eAssist at GM, said during a briefing on e-Assist ahead of the LaCrosse hybrid’s Los Angeles auto show debut in November reported Wards Auto.
That means about a 25 percent improvement in fuel economy, a move dedicated to helping GM achieve new CAFE ratings.
Consequently, if this is GM’s powertrain of the future, I can’t wait to see E-Assist spread into more GM vehicles. In fact, why is GM so focused on $30,000+ Buick hybrids? Why not a Chevy Cruze with E-Assist, for instance? Take on the Toyota Prius with E-Assist already.
Likewise, how about a Chevy Silverado with E-Assist? Might mild hybrid pickup trucks sell better than GM’s current full hybrid pickups that barely sell at all?
Ultimately, it would be great to see E-Assist become GM’s base powertrain, but the future for GM’s base hybrid powertrain still seems many years away.