GM's Week of the Hybrid may have been punctuated by the plug-in announcement ("we're working on it"), but the most significant hybrid in the General's stable over the short term is the GMC Yukon, which it unveiled at the LA Auto Show earlier this week. The 2008 model, whose release date is still a year away, will feature the GM/DaimlerChrysler/BMW two-mode hybrid-drive system, supporting a Vortec V8 (FYI: the two modes are slow and fast). The system allows electric-only power at low speeds — comparable to Toyota's hybrids — as well as cylinder deactivation and various cam and valve tweaks to increase the small-block's efficiency. Some body pieces have been redesigned to reduce weight. All told, the General is expecting a 25% improvement in fuel economy over a comparable gas-only model. In a pinch, it can also tow 6,000 pounds worth of solar panels back to the underground eco-shack in Taos. That's what we call win-win-sort-of-win. – Mike Spinelli

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Tahoe Hybrid to be Produced In Texas [internal]

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