Tag Archives: Hybrid

Cadillac Escalade Hybrid – the counter-argument

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I am a fan of well expressed opinions, even if I disagree with them. I think that our level of discourse is very important, and the better the debate the more actual information and truth sneaks in.

Keith Ritter over at Consult Keith blogged a nice thought piece which at heart contains this statement:

Cadillac’s brand message is not about environment-friendly or great gas mileage.  A Cadillac has always been A STATEMENT about who you are and that you’ve “made it.”  It’s about Kate Walsh and your vehicle turning you on and not about gas mileage.

I would like to disagree. Cadillac has always been a vehicle for the Affluent. But more to the point, Cadillac is about precision, technology, performance, and luxury.   Cadillac has had many WORLD firsts in technology, starting with the electric starter for example.  Cadillac has traditionally had the best, the latest, and the most innovative.    Although in the 80s GM lost their way a bit with badge engineering, the latest and newest technology is an important part of the Cadillac DNA.

Cadillac Escalade Powertrain Status display

Cadillac Escalade Powertrain Status display

The hybrid powertrain in a Cadillac Escalade is no more amazing to me than having the new lane change detection system in the Cadillac STS or heads-up displays in the STS-V and XLR-V. Cadillac gets the latest technology, premium powertrains, and luxury accessories that GM as the World’s largest vehicle manufacturer can bring to the streets.

Also, keep in mind that most people are not choosing between a Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, which is a fullsize SUV, and an economy car.  There is a valid and necessary market for these vehicles among people who need the room, want the up-high driving position, storage space, need the towing capacity, etc.  Not all vehicles fit all people; there are a variety of markets. IF you NEED or WANT a fullsize SUV, and you want it to get the best MPG possible, the Escalade Hybrid is a good choice.

The only surprising thing in the current markeing plan is that the new E-flex technology started out in a Chevrolet Volt instead of in the new smaller-than-a-CTS upcoming Cadillac model.  And I suspect we will see the E-flex powertrain in a Cadillac as the next production example.

Cadillac Escalade Hybrid Green at Heart

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The Cadillac Escalade Hybrid has a fundamentally different powertrain than the base Escalade.  The Escalade Hybrid is a true 2-stage hybrid powerplant, able to move on battery power or on gas propulsion.

Energy Storage System (ESS)

Providing power to the hybrid’s electrically variable transmission’s (EVT) two electric motors is a 300-volt nickel-metal hydride Energy Storage System (ESS). This battery pack is located under the second-row seat, where it takes up virtually no additional space and does not interfere with second- or third-row ingress/egress.

The primary function of the ESS is to provide power (300 volts) to the EVT and to store captured energy produced during regenerative braking. In addition to supplying power to the EVT, the ESS also provides power to the air conditioning compressor and the Accessory Power Module (APM), which converts the high-voltage supply to 42 volts for the electric power steering system, and 12 volts for the vehicle battery and other 12-volt electrical accessories.

Battery pack durability and reliability are maintained via optimized charge and discharge cycles, as well as a dedicated cooling system that draws air from the passenger compartment. As part of the vehicle’s emission control system, the ESS is warranted for eight years/100,000 miles.

In city driving, this advanced hybrid power system enables Escalade to launch and drive low speeds on electricity alone. So cruising along the avenue, the Escalade may use no fuel at all.   As additional power is demanded, the system blends output from the battery and gas engine smoothly.
The key to Escalade’s two-mode hybrid system is that the electric power used to propel the vehicle is generated by the hybrid system itself. When the brakes are applied or the vehicle is coasting, the electric motors within the hybrid system create electricity that is stored in the 300-volt battery. This stored energy is used to move the vehicle and the regenerative braking cycle is renewed.

A key contributor to the Escalade Hybrid’s fuel economy is the gasoline engine’s Auto Stop mode. Once the vehicle reaches 0 mph, the gasoline engine is automatically shut down. By leaving the engine off and allowing the vehicle to move only under electric power, such as during heavy stop-and-go traffic, fuel consumption and emissions are greatly reduced.

If you need the seating, room, and towing capacity of a fullsize SUV, the Cadillac Escalade is an excellent choice.  With the addition of the Escalade Hybrid to the Cadillac line, you can have your luxury and quietly glide past the gasoline station too.

Cadillac Commercial Confusion — Escalade Hybrid gets 20mpg city, 21 mpg highway!

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The good news is there are a LOT of tweets lately on the social media site Twitter.com about the new Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. The bad news is that a lot of the audience is getting the message wrong. The base Cadillac Escalade is a full size SUV and gets 12 mpg city and 19 mpg highway as found on the Cadillac website

The Escalade Hybrid does much better, at 20 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

So what are people saying after watching the commercial?

Cadillac Escalade hybrid – 12MPG Highway, 19MPG city. Scares me to think of the mileage it got PRE-hybrid

so an escalade hybrid would get 12 miles per gallon?

Reading the fine print of car commercials is painful to me. Example, the Escalade hybrid: 12 city/19 highway. Terrible, even for a hybrid

Cadillac’s ad agency needs to fix this quickly.  You only get one chance to make a first impression.  Apparently the commercial says the Escalade Hybrid gets 50% better city mpg than the non-Hybrid Escalade.  The small print (thank you Lawyers!?) shows that this is relative to the non-Hybrid Escalade’s 13 mpg.  People are reading the small print to mean that the Hybrid gets 13 mpg which is wrong.  The Escalade Hybrid gets 20 mpg City.  Woops.