Photo: Buick
Until the automotive industry is ready to embrace the EV on a grander scale than today, light electrification will have to do. General Motors, for its part, is steadily developing its eAssist mild-hybrid system, with the LaCrosse receiving the technology for the 2018 MY.
Closely related to the China-only LaCrosse HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), the U.S.-spec LaCrosse with eAssist promises to be 19 percent more frugal in the city than the V6-powered model. Exclusively matched to the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, eAssist leverages on a small lithium-ion battery pack. A standard feature for the 2018 Buick LaCrosse, the eAssist system is designed with torque-assisted launches, energy-saving regenerative braking, and smooth stop/start transitions in mind.
Priced from $30,490, which is $1,575 less than the current model year with the V6 engine, the refreshed LaCrosse also gains three new exterior colors: Satin Steel Metallic, Dark Slate Metallic, and Red Quartz Tintcoat. Combining a 0.45 kWh battery with an electric motor and the ICE, eAssist works in tandem with the upper and lower active aero shutters in the front fascia. Be that as it may, Buick has yet to detail just how miles per gallon the mild hybrid powertrain is capable of returning.
“Executing innovative technologies in an approachable and meaningful way is core to Buick,” commented Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick. “By adding the eAssist system to the LaCrosse, our technology flagship, we are making electrification accessible to our customers as we chart our course to the future of mobility."
More fuel economy-minded customers are better off going mainstream with the Chevrolet Volt, which offers up to 53 pure electric miles and 420 miles with a complete charge and a full tank of gasoline. For those who would rather make the jump to full-on electric vehicle, the Bolt starts from $37,495 excluding the federal tax credit and destination.
The flagship green vehicle in the General Motors arsenal, the Bolt brags with 238 miles per charge from 60 kWh worth of battery capacity. Mind you, DC fast charging is an optional extra even on the Premier trim level.
Priced from $30,490, which is $1,575 less than the current model year with the V6 engine, the refreshed LaCrosse also gains three new exterior colors: Satin Steel Metallic, Dark Slate Metallic, and Red Quartz Tintcoat. Combining a 0.45 kWh battery with an electric motor and the ICE, eAssist works in tandem with the upper and lower active aero shutters in the front fascia. Be that as it may, Buick has yet to detail just how miles per gallon the mild hybrid powertrain is capable of returning.
“Executing innovative technologies in an approachable and meaningful way is core to Buick,” commented Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick. “By adding the eAssist system to the LaCrosse, our technology flagship, we are making electrification accessible to our customers as we chart our course to the future of mobility."
More fuel economy-minded customers are better off going mainstream with the Chevrolet Volt, which offers up to 53 pure electric miles and 420 miles with a complete charge and a full tank of gasoline. For those who would rather make the jump to full-on electric vehicle, the Bolt starts from $37,495 excluding the federal tax credit and destination.
The flagship green vehicle in the General Motors arsenal, the Bolt brags with 238 miles per charge from 60 kWh worth of battery capacity. Mind you, DC fast charging is an optional extra even on the Premier trim level.
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