Toyota Prius/GM SUV's - One System, Two Visions

Washington DC May 7, 2007; The AIADA newsletter reported that Toyota scored a coup with its Prius, a futuristic midsize car that uses a sophisticated electric-drive system to keep gas consumption down.

Now, General Motors is readying its response: a hulking V-8 powered sport-utility vehicle with a sophisticated electric booster that gives it the gas mileage of a minivan.

GM's "two-mode" hybrid gas-electric Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon trucks won't hit the market until late this year, or early next year. But last week, GM allowed journalists a sneak peek at prototypes of the vehicles.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the contrasting approaches to hybrid technology represented by the Tahoe and the Prius illustrate, quite dramatically, the different world views of GM and Toyota.

Toyota's "Hybrid Synergy Drive" system is designed primarily to reduce the petroleum consumption of relatively light vehicles operating in the city. GM, on the other hand, is a creature of the American heartland, where lots of people want powerful vehicles that can comfortably haul up to seven people and their gear.