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Originally Posted by redpoint5
I'm most looking forward to a plug-in hybrid truck. There has to be a lot of potential there. I probably wouldn't buy one since I rarely need a truck and already have several, but considering they are the most popular "passenger" vehicles sold in the US, I think good could be done in that area.
It was a mistake for modern hybrid technology to have started with the Insight. That car gets good fuel economy regardless of EV use. Better to start where the weight is and move to the lighter platforms. Just imagine where we'd be if Honda didn't let the Ridgeline languish and instead introduced a hybrid in that model.
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With SUVs and Pickups constituting the lion's share of corporate profits,I wonder if the product development committees get ultra conservative when discussing changes to these golden gooses.
Ford debuted a hybrid pickup concept a decade ago at The Detroit Auto Show and weren't stormed by show-goers with cries for production.
GM actually produced a very mild hybrid pickup a decade ago or so.I've never seen one on the street.
15-mpg seems to be okay with a lot of truck owners.Folks who don't even need a truck will drop over $50,000 for one.
Bob Lutz, I'm sure could provide some serious insight into this.
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One thing about the full-size SUVs and pickups; since many are body-on-frame construction,the R&D and tooling could be shared across a number of variants,spreading out the cost.With a freshening,instead of an actual 'new' design at 4-years,a lot of cost would be amortized out already,and production cost would fall,with profit rising.
A plug-in Denali/Silverado/Tahoe or Lincoln Navigator,Excursion,F-150,etc.,could be a walk in the park.
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Either consumer demand pull 'carrot',or EPA,CAFE 'stick' would be a catalyst.
Get Vin Diesel to drive one in a blockbuster motion picture,and every 14-year-old in the country would be begging for one.And their dads.