Chevy's "Mild Hybrid" Malibu
Los Angeles Convention Center
Chevrolet, which has been designated the "green" division of GM, has a tremendous amount of prestige riding on this all-new Malibu; and it's the first major Chevrolet product to be available with a hybrid powerplant, albeit a "mild hybrid', as opposed to the "full hybrids" such as Toyota developed and uses. Malibu's gas engine shuts off when the vehicle stops at red lights or for any period of time, then is re-started almost instantly by a single electric motor when the driver's foot comes off the brake and hits the gas pedal. The system is basically an automatic start/stop setup with a nickel metal hydride battery to capture some energy from regenerative braking and provide some power boost when needed for acceleration.