holden goes hybrid, page-10

Holden to go 'hybrid'
By Toby Hagon
Motoring Editor
July 14, 2004

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Australia's top-selling car may soon be available with an electric motor. Holden is considering selling petrol-electric versions of its Commodore in a few years as part of an environmental push designed to broaden the appeal of the brand.

The so-called hybrid engine - a regular petrol engine married to an electric motor - would be similar in concept to Toyota's Prius.

Holden chairman and managing director Denny Mooney said a hybrid engine would reduce the Commodore's fuel consumption and broaden its appeal.

"We're working on a hybrid system for (our new V6) power train. We're going to have some hybrids here eventually (in the Commodore range). But they're a couple of years away," he said.

Holden has already floated the idea of a hybrid Commodore with its ECOmmodore concept car unveiled in 2000. Using battery technology designed by the CSIRO, the ECOmmodore had a four-cylinder engine with an electric motor to provide V6 performance.

But a production version of a hybrid Commodore would most likely use a version of the V6 being produced at Port Melbourne, with the ultimate goal of providing four-cylinder economy in a big car.


Holden marketing director John Elsworth said a hybrid Commodore would need to be competitively priced to sell.

Mr Mooney said he believed fuel-cell technology was far from becoming viable. "Hybrids have come along faster than I think we would have anticipated a few years ago," he said. "As time goes on, fuel cell continues to look like it's longer term."