GM Plans Plug-In Hybrid

We don’t normally cover industry news that won’t impact consumers in the near future, but this is really intriguing. GM is investing some of the money it’s saving from massive cost cutting back into green technologies. One of its projects includes a plug-in hybrid car that will allow owners to recharge the battery at any standard electric outlet. The car will run on the electric motor until the battery expires, then switch to a gasoline engine, thus making it a hybrid. This is considerably different from current hybrid technology, which allows a car to start from a standing stop and maneuver at low speeds using electric power, then switches to the gasoline engine when more speed or performance is needed.

The project is called the “I-car,” and we’ll admit to our surprise at the news. We’ll warn you, though, that these projects often don’t come to fruition and we wouldn’t be surprised if some other technology or trend came along to divert the research.   

[GM to Use Cost Savings to Fight Toyota `Green’ Cars, People Say, Bloomberg.com]