A Buick Plug-In Hybrid Minivan Just Set A New Range Record
- A plug-in hybrid Buick minivan set a new range record in China earlier this year.
- The refreshed Buick GL8 LS PHEV went over 600 miles at a constant speed of 74.5 mph.
- Making things more challenging was an average ambient temperature of 41°F.
A plug-in hybrid Buick minivan is now the world’s longest-range multi-purpose vehicle. (It’s also a sentence I wasn’t expecting in this year’s edition of weird automotive news bingo.)
While the American car brand might not make many headlines in the United States anymore, it’s still alive and kicking in China, where GM’s joint venture with SAIC has been churning out all sorts of interesting Buick-badged models, including EVs and PHEVs.
Buick GL8 LS PHEV world record for longest-range plug-in hybrid minivan
Photo by: Buick
One of these Bizarro Buicks is the GL8 LS PHEV, which drove non-stop for 616.29 miles (991.79 kilometers) back in January, officially becoming the world’s longest-range production PHEV minivan, as spotted by GM Authority. That’s quite impressive, considering the cruise control was set to 74.5 miles per hour (74.5 miles per hour) and the average ambient temperature during the run was 41°F (5°C). The attempt unfolded on January 18 at the Xi’an Weishui Test Drive Facility’s banked oval circuit.
The Buick GL8 LS PHEV debuted in China last year, joining other GL8-branded minivans in the automaker’s portfolio. The plug-in people carrier is powered by the company’s latest electrified powertrain, “True Dragon”, which mates a 1.5-liter deep Miller gasoline engine with two electric motors for a total output of 392 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque. A 24.4-kilowatt-hour lithium iron phosphate battery pack provides an all-electric range of up to 70 miles (113 km) on the CLTC cycle, while the total range is rated at 882 miles (1,420 km).
What’s interesting about SAIC’s PHEV system is that it can run in either series or parallel mode, with the company claiming that this setup significantly reduces idle and drag losses.
The car itself is quite posh, with rear captain’s chairs and a total of seven seats. That said, it’s based on underpinnings that date back a decade, so it’s not exactly brand-new.
Besides the GL8 LS, Buick also sells the GL8 Legacy, GL8 ES, and GL8 Century in China, making it the largest model lineup in the brand’s portfolio, and one of its most successful.
