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Originally Posted by Brokinarrow
 Seems like kind of a 'lite' hybrid so to speak, will be interested to see the pricing as well. Very sharp looking car  |
Quote:
Originally Posted by DGthe3
The proper jargon is 'mild' ... for some very good reason that I've never heard, and probably never will.
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It really has to do with how much propulsion the system provides. A "full" hybrid will actually propel the vehicle at low speeds, in some cases over 30 mph in limited conditions (i.e. hard accleration, up hills, etc.).
eAssist is the next generation of the the GM BAS Hybrid System which was available on the current Malibu. That system had the ability to provide start/stop and the ability to capture regenerative brake energy and provide full electrical functionality when the engine was stopped.
The next generation system (announced on the LaCrosse, Regal and now Malibu) provides propulsion assist as well as the start/stop capability and the storage of energy from braking. It uses LiIon batteries and a much higher output drive unit compared to the original BAS Hybrid. But it provide propulsion assist, but not direct propulsion.
This is primarily why the "full" hybrid systems offer City FE that is still higher than eAssist. The drive unit remains a separate device, essentially an oversized alternator/starter unit rather than integral to the transmission.
It provides real world FE gains with much less cost and complexity. It may not be the answer for some, but for those Chevrolet has the Volt.