GM Arlington TX SUV Plant To Build Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon Two-Mode Hybrid

2007 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid Two Mode

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - General Motors today announced the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon Two-mode Hybrid SUVs will be built at its Arlington assembly plant beginning in late 2007.

The vehicles will be equipped with GM's two-mode full hybrid transmission, which will be produced at its Baltimore Transmission Operations in White Marsh, Md. To prepare the Baltimore facility for production of the two-mode full hybrid transmission, GM will invest $118 million and add up to 87 new jobs.

The two-mode hybrid system will be mated with GM's Active Fuel Management technology for a composite fuel-efficiency gain of 25 percent over the base Tahoe.

"Arlington Assembly is known for its outstanding productivity and quality," said plant manager Mike Glinski. "We were the most productive full-size SUV plant in the Harbour Report North America 2005, and the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe were first and second, respectively, in the Full-Size SUV segment of the 2005 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study."

The two-mode hybrid system, originally implemented by GM in transit buses in 2003, is being cooperatively advanced and adapted by BMW Group, DaimlerChrysler and GM for use in a broad variety of cars, trucks and SUVs.

GM has a unique hybrid strategy, with plans to offer several different hybrid systems across multiple brands and vehicle applications at various price points, providing an opportunity for more consumers to own a hybrid vehicle and benefit from increased fuel economy savings.

Arlington Assembly began building the all-new 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe late last year and the vehicles went on sale in mid-January. Production on the all-new GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade began in January. The plant built more than 155,600 full-size SUVs in the 2005 calendar year. Arlington Assembly currently employs approximately 3,000 hourly and salaried employees.

General Motors Corp. , the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 75 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 327,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2005, 9.17 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM operates one of the world's leading finance companies, GMAC Financial Services, which offers automotive, residential and commercial financing and insurance. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.