Getting to Know GM's Alternative-Fuel Vehicles (Part 2)

Here at Discovery Communications' LEED-certified HQ in Silver Spring, Maryland, reps from GM recently descended upon our lobby to tout GM and its subsidiaries, and especially its hybrid technologies . It's no coincidence, of course, that GM is a Planet Green advertiser, but that doesn't mean I didn't learn a ton about the vehicles and technologies on display.

With six cars being shown off to both the public and Discovery employees, many people that happened to be just walking by the building stopped in to check out the cars, especially the fuel cell--driven Chevy Equinox, which won't be on the market until 2015 or 2016. But for me, it was the three SUVs that caught my eye. Allow me to share with you what I learned.

On display were the compact crossover Saturn Vue, the GMC Yukon, and the Chevy Traverse (by far my favorite!). The Vue is called a "crossover SUV" because of its cargo space and seating but lack of truck bed. This is a great mid-sized family vehicle, and with a 4-cylinder engine, the gas mileage is pretty decent at 25 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the hwy. And starting at $26,200, it?s also pretty affordable.

The GMC Yukon seats eight people--yes that's right, I said it, eight people! ? and it's a hybrid that gets 21 mpg around the city and 22 on the open road of the highway, certainly an improvement over its conventional counterparts. With three rows of seats, GPS, XM Radio, a remote starter, and frontal and side airbags for maximum safety, the Yukon won the 2008 Technology of the Year Award from Automobile Magazine. Starting at $50,000, it's a little out of this blogger's league, but it's still pretty cool, in my opinion.

Last but not least, my personal favorite: the Chevy Traverse Hybrid. It seats eight and has mad cargo space, due to the fact that rear seating folds down into the floor of the vehicle, providing a flat surface for hauling stuff (which, in my case, would be two beautiful-but-huge dogs). With a five-star safety system, GPS, and hands-free calling, this baby gets 24 mpg on the highway and 19 mpg in the city. Walking and biking are important tools for reducing our reliance on fossil-fuels, but let's face it, most of us need four wheels to get around a lot of the time. At an affordable $28,000, I could definitely see myself carting my pooches--while reducing my current carbon footprint --around in this vehicle.

Further Reading on Hybrid and Fuel Cell Technology:
How to Go Green: Hybrid Cars
Buy Green: Hybrid Cars
Hybrid Cars from Planet Green USDA gets Chevy Equinox fuel cell vehicle for Project Highway test

Check out the first post in this series, Know Your Alternative Fuel Vehicles (Part 1).