09-19-2007: Hydrogen-Powered Chevy Hybrid to ECOFEST

Chevrolet Unveils First of Fuel-Cell SUVs that will be Tested by Real Drivers in New York this Winter

Visitors to Manhattan’s ECOFEST 2007 will witness the first of a fleet of fuel-cell Chevrolet SUVs that will soon be driving across metropolitan New York, fueled by hydrogen and emitting nothing more than water vapor.

Real drivers will participate in the world’s biggest fuel-cell test, involving more than 100 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell SUVs. The two-year pilot will begin in the New York metropolitan area at the start of calendar 2008.

Saturn will also display at ECOFEST its award-winning Aura sedan powered by a hybrid gasoline-electric system that delivers a 25 percent fuel economy improvement for a premium of less than $2,500.

“We believe ECOFEST is a great place to show New Yorkers that General Motors is the leader in fuel-saving technology,” said General Motors Northeast General Manager Scott Mackie. “Chevrolet already offers customers eight 2007 models that get 30 miles per gallon or better in estimated EPA highway driving, and GM has built more than 2 million FlexFuel cars and trucks that can run on gasoline or a blend of renewable ethanol in E85 fuel. But we’re not stopping there. Chevy’s plug-in electric Volt captured the world’s fascination, and the Equinox Fuel Cell takes electric vehicles a step beyond batteries.”

Mackie continued: “Saturn also offers customers a range of fuel-friendly vehicles. Retailers sell the affordable hybrid system in both the Aura and the all-new 2008 Vue crossover SUV. In 2009, yet another Vue hybrid will join the lineup: an advanced plug-in hybrid that can charge while owners are at home or at work.”

Both the Chevrolet Fuel Cell Equinox and the Saturn Aura Hybrid will be displayed Sunday, September 30, in the Lincoln Center Plaza as part of ECOFEST, a cultural and educational environmental festival that is open to the public at no charge from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

At the GM display, experts will explain the technology behind these vehicles. Chevrolet and Saturn will offer visitors literature and indoor herbs that grow in a bag to remind them of the many Chevrolet and Saturn vehicles that range from low-fuel to no-fuel.

“More information on the Saturn Aura, winner of the 2007 North American Car of the Year, is available at http://media.gm.com/us/saturn/en/product_services/r_cars/r_c_aura/index.html. To apply to test the Chevrolet Fuel Cell Equinox, go to www.chevrolet.com, click on Fuel Cell and Apply for Test Program.