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The automaker plans to have at least three hybrid transmissions and offer as many as a dozen hybrid models in the next few years. The Two Mode system, which has two electric motors that assist the engine, would be the premium system, Lutz said.

The cost of that system is more than $10,000, sources close to the program say.
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1. Belt alternator starter: This low-end, bolt-on unit combines the alternator and starter. The major fuel economy gains come from the engine shutting off and quickly restarting after the vehicle comes to a stop. The belt alternator starter system provides a light boost on hard acceleration.

The system will be on four-cylinder versions of the Saturn Aura Green Line and Chevrolet Malibu sedans and the Saturn Vue crossover. Lutz said that system delivers an 11 to 12 percent improvement in fuel economy for an additional charge of about $2,000 to $3,000.

2. BAS plus: A step up from the belt alternator starter, this system likely will use lithium ion batteries instead of nickel-metal hydride batteries and provides a bigger boost of electric power when the vehicle accelerates. It might also have plug-in capability. It is about two years from production, Lutz said. It will boost fuel economy 14 percent to 15 percent and remains "relatively inexpensive," he said.

3. Two Mode transmission: A more complex system, the Two Mode's first generation is due out this fall in the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon. GM officials in May said the Two Mode will deliver at least a 25 percent fuel economy gain. GM also is working on a Two Mode for front-drive vehicles.
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