The Hybrid Yukon Is Coming

Anthony Fontanelle
July 4, 2007

Automakers have been on the forefront of the current war against global warming. With a huge amount of greenhouse gases attributed to the emission of automobiles, carmakers are looking for ways to make the emission of vehicles cleaner thus making them environment friendly. Asian car manufacturers started the production of hybrid vehicles and now, American car making companies are jumping on the hybrid bandwagon.

GMC, formerly known as the GMC Trucks, a subsidiary of General Motors, is known for producing large SUVs and pickup trucks. Recently though, the company has started offering fuel efficient vehicles. The GMC Acadia is a crossover vehicle which offers the cargo capacity of an SUV and the fuel efficiency of a car. But aside from the Acadia, GMC is also on its way of introducing a hybrid vehicle in its lineup.

Based on the original Yukon, GMC has created a hybrid full-size SUV to appeal to consumers who are concerned about the increasing price of gasoline. With the price of gasoline skyrocketing for the past years especially during summer months, auto buyers are now looking to buy fuel efficient albeit smaller cars.

Although the GMC Yukon slightly differs from its conventional gasoline powered counterpart, they share the same platform and almost the same features. The drivetrain is what separates the hybrid from the conventional Yukon.

GMC revised the exterior of the Yukon to make it more aerodynamic. Being aerodynamic means that the drag that the vehicle created is lessened thus less power is needed to push the vehicle along. That, of course, results to improved fuel efficiency.

The front of the Yukon Hybrid is lowered to make it cut through the air better than its conventional sibling. The leading edge of the hood has been streamlined, again done to improve aerodynamics. The hood and the liftgate are both made out of aluminum. This means that the Yukon Hybrid weighs less thus power demand is reduced further therefore increasing fuel efficiency.

Another weight-saving technique used by General Motors engineers is the use of lightweight wheels with the lowest rolling-resistance tires. Another step taken by the engineers involved in the designing of the Yukon Hybrid is the integration of a refined rear pillar, rear hatch spoiler, and a close out panel to improve the ease by which the air passes through the rear of the vehicle.

The drivetrain of the Yukon Hybrid is the two-mode hybrid propulsion system developed by General Motors. The vehicle is powered by a V8 engine and two electric motors. The first mode of the two-mode hybrid system is used during low-speed and light load operations. During these operations, the Yukon Hybrid can be powered by electric power only, engine power only, or a combination of both. The second mode is used on highway speeds. During these operations, all the eight cylinders of the engine is activated to produce the needed power.

The first mode is beneficial on city driving where sudden acceleration and deceleration is needed. When slowing down, the electric motor takes over and the engine is automatically shut off. While the conventional version of the vehicle relies on the GMC Yukon catalytic converter to make it environment friendly by producing less greenhouse gases, the hybrid Yukon reduces the amount of petroleum fuel being burned.

The electric motor of the Yukon Hybrid is powered by a 300-Volt battery pack which is installed in the rear cargo area of the vehicle. The hybrid will come late this year.

Source:  Amazines.com