GM takes two-way road on hybrids

A lot of any vehicle's power goes toward pushing aside air, especially at highway speeds. So GM engineers and designers spent a lot of time in the wind tunnel trying to make the Tahoe Hybrid as aerodynamic as possible.

The front end is smoother than the regular version's. Fog lamps are absent, and an extended front faring moves more air around the SUV instead of under it.

GM made the back corners sharper so that air flowing around the Tahoe would join back together with less turbulence. It also added a long back wing to smooth airflow.

GM even made changes underneath. The muffler is slightly angled, like a wing, to let air slip smoothly under it.

Other changes were made to save weight. The seats are designed to be thinner and lighter and some parts of the body, like the hood and tailgate, are made from aluminum.