FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW: GM takes Flextreme approach to next gen planet-saving tech

Date: 11 September 2007

General Motors has peeled the drapes off a dramatic new concept that points towards how the motoring behemoth will respond to the impending environmental crisis.

Named Flextreme, the new GM MPV harnesses a diesel-electric hybrid for lower emissions, but radically departs from how the technology is currently employed.

Instead of short bursts of electric motoring the Flextreme concept has a 55km range on electric power alone - that's enough for most commutes.

Meanwhile, the 1.3-litre diesel engine will be employed solely to charge the lithium-ion battery.

GM claims this efficient approach to hybrids could mean CO2 emissions of just 40g/km.

In the short term, insiders claim that the Flextreme will donate its styling to the next Zafira and Meriva MPVs due before 2010, but with a few more air vents. Incredibly, the show car's rear 'suicide' doors are expected to remain following successful clinics. Even stranger for the conservative brand, the gullwing boot hatch, which allows for loading from the pavement, is also being considered seriously for production.

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