Why the Chevy Malibu Hybrid Failed Miserably

Avoid this hybrid sedan.

I usually don’t harp on a failed model, preferring to let each car speak for itself. However, I can’t resist taking a late swipe at the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, a vehicle whose lifespan was cut short and for good reason: it was a bomb.

Standard Malibus

Nope, this rip isn’t directed at the rest of the Malibu line which is, in my opinion, a solid contender in the midsize sedan market. Lots of people consider the Toyota Camry or Honda Accord, the two top sellers in the segment, but I believe the Malibu is better styled.

And, along with the Ford Fusion and 2011 Honda Sonata, the Malibu should be considered. But not the hybrid…not now…not ever.

So, why offer up some slappage against the Malibu Hybrid when it is no longer available for sale? I’ll tell you why: to serve notice that sometimes the best intentions of an automaker fall short or in this case never get off to a right start in the first place.

Ill Conceived

Everything about the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid was wrong. Unlike the Toyota Prius, Ford Fusion Hybrid and mostly everything else on the market, the Malibu Hybrid wasn’t a full hybrid. Yes, it utilized an electric battery but it didn’t do what the typical hybrid does and that is to deliver electric only power around town at speeds up to 25 to 30 mph.

Instead, the partial hybrid Malibu stayed in electric mode for up to 3 mph…just the speed you need when you back out of your driveway. In contrast, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid can stay in pure electric mode until the car hits 47 mph. What a difference!

And, that chasm becomes evident in fuel economy as the Malibu Hybrid gets 26 mpg city, 34 mpg highway. The Fusion Hybrid gets 41 mpg city, 36 mpg highway. Not much of a difference on the highway, but a world of difference around town.

Partial Hybrid

The question that needs to be answered is this one: why did General Motors go with a partial hybrid instead of something on order of the Fusion and Prius? That’s a good question, perhaps it had something to do with price as the Malibu carried only a s slight price premium while still qualifying for a federal tax rebate (new energy credit for hybrids). Still, with just 2-3 mpg gained with the hybrid, there isn’t much going for it.

My “little rant” is also directed at those in autodom who chase after foolish projects and think customers will be wowed. When GM was planning its hybrid line up, it was losing billions of dollars monthly. Since then, it has moved through bankruptcy and is now restructuring; the hope here is that GM has learned many valuable lessons along the way and won’t repeat those mistakes. They can’t afford to as customers have many other choices available to them, giving GM no room for mistakes.

As far as buying a used Malibu Hybrid goes, that’s up to you. But I wouldn’t pay a premium for the model and I’d also be concerned about its long term quality. GM abandoned the Malibu Hybrid so why should you buy what is effectively an orphaned car?

Looking Beyond The Ford Fusion Hybrid

Ford Focus ST

Ford fans, especially those interested in hybrid and/or electric technology, know that the automaker is working diligently to move forward in this arena, pursuing a number of different avenues to reach their goal.

The Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid represent the second group of passenger vehicles that Ford has developed featuring hybrid technology (utilizing nickel-cadmium batteries), joining the Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid which recently celebrated their fifth anniversary of production.

Rolling Out Lithium-Ion Batteries

At some point, the Ford Fusion Hybrid and the three other Ford and Mercury branded vehicles currently utilizing nickel-cadmium (NiCad) batteries are expected to make the switch over to lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries. Li-ion batteries have a number of advantages including an improved energy density, twice that of NiCads. However, aging and other issues are some of the unknowns related to this technology which means that its long term usability still isn’t clear.

Nevertheless, a number of automotive manufacturers are pursuing li-ion technology, racing to become the first manufacturer to mass produce a vehicle with these types of batteries. Right now, the limited production Tesla Roadster uses li-ion batteries as will the upcoming Fisker Karma sport sedan.

What Ford Has Planned

Ford will embrace the new technology and has ambitious plans to take a leadership role by offering the following:

All Electric Transit Connect — Imported from Europe, the Transit Connect will do to the entry level commercial van market what the Ford E Class did for big vans. Moreover, Ford is working with a British battery supplier to produce a limited number of pure electric Transit Connects beginning next year. Yes, the Transit Connect EV will likely beat Nissan’s own electric sedan to the market in 2010, by at least a few months.

Ford Focus EV — In keeping with its plans to bring the European Focus (pictured) to the United States, Ford is converting an assembly plant in Wayne, MI to produce its global compact car.  Ford just announced that beginning in 2011, an electric Focus will also be produced, becoming the first pure electric passenger vehicle from the automaker.

Next Generation Hybrid — Although fairly mum on this point, Ford says that its next generation hybrid vehicle will roll out in 2012. I believe that this means that the current Fusion/Milan will switch from NiCad to li-ion batteries, particularly if the earlier Transit Connect and Ford Focus models prove to be a success.

First Ever PHEV — Ford is currently testing its plug-in hybrid Escape or Escape PHEV, a vehicle with an extended electric range. Ford says it is possible for drivers to get around 100 mpg with its PHEV; I believe this means that the technology will find its way into the next generation Escape/Mariner.

The New Face Of Ford

When all is said and done, the Ford line up will look vastly different than it does now as the automaker shifts from producing big trucks and sport/utility vehicles to smaller, lighter and much more environmentally friendly vehicles.

You’ll still be able to buy your F-150 or Taurus, but the bulk of Ford, Mercury and Lincoln sales will be those involving vehicles currently sold in Europe and those featuring hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and pure electric engineering technology.

Photo courtesy of the Ford Motor Company.

The Most Fuel Efficient Cars of 2009

Although gas prices have retreated considerably since peaking above $4 per gallon over the summer, consumers who are in the market for a new vehicle are still putting a high importance on choosing cars that deliver exceptional fuel economy. The retreat from big SUVs, pickup trucks, and other large vehicles has been historic with demand for certain smaller cars outstripping supply.

Each year the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes information about every vehicle sold in the US to include city, highway, and combined driving fuel economy. Up until recently, those figures were considered to be inflated, but over the past few years the EPA has taken great strides to make certain that fuel economy numbers parallel real world driving conditions. If the EPA says that a car can get 40 mpg, you should be able to realize that number under optimum driving conditions.

The Most Fuel Efficient Cars For 2009

For the 2009 model year, the EPA has released its Top Ten list of most fuel efficient cars. The list is evenly split between hybrids and gas or electric models, with top honors going to the Toyota Prius:

1. Toyota Prius (hybrid) — 48/45

2. Honda Civic Hybrid — 40/45

3. Nissan Altima Hybrid — 35/33

4. Ford Escape Hybrid FWD; Mazda Tribute Hybrid 2WD; Mercury Mariner Hybrid FWD — 34/31

5. Smart ForTwo convertible; Smart ForTwo coupe — 33/41

6. Toyota Camry Hybrid — 33/34

7. Volkswagen Jetta (manual, diesel); Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen (manual, diesel) — 30/41

8. Volkswagen Jetta (automatic, diesel); Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen (automatic, diesel) — 29/40

9. Toyota Yaris (manual) — 29/36

10. Toyota Yaris (automatic) – 29/35

The Worst of the Lot

Now that you know the most fuel efficient vehicles available, can you guess which model finished dead last? If you said the Lamborghini Murcielago with its 6.5L V12 engine, then you guessed correctly. The Italian sportscar gulps gas to the tune of delivering just 8 mpg city and 13 mpg highway finishing just ahead of the Bentley Arnage RL which gets 9 mpg city/15 mpg highway thanks to its 6.7L V12 powerplant.

To find the fuel economy of a vehicle that interests you and to make side by side comparisons with other cars, trucks, vans, crossovers, and SUVs, visit the EPA website to plug in that information.