Detroit's hybrid vehicle collaboration - They had no choice

American auto-makers have said for many years that hydrogen powered vehicles are the wave of the future. At one point in time, DaimlerChrysler even planned to start marketing such cars, run by fuel cells, in 2004.

Obviously, that didn't happen.

Back in the energy crisis of the '70s, fuel cells were also touted as the future, and some 20 years later, the future still appears at least 20 years away.

Then came the Honda Insight, and more important, the Toyota Prius. At first American automakers laughed at hybrids claiming that Americans only cared about more power and larger vehicles. Yet, more and more of those cars were sold and suddenly Detroit stopped laughing.

Now hybrid vehicle technology not only produces cleaner vehicles, but more powerful and faster vehicles, such as the Accord hybrid by Honda.

Thus, Ford finally entered the hybrid race with it's Ford Escape hybrid, and GM and DaimlerChrysler are working together to create hybrid powertrains. Of course, GM and DaimlerChrysler insist hybrids are nothing but a transition to their hydrogen future.

Very rarely, unfortunately, do you hear from Detroit environmental reasons for supporting hybrid vehicles. It's almost as if the environment isn't even a core issue.

The recent UN global warming conference further validated this point. President Bush, and many American corporations, simply refuse to lead on CO2 reductions. On the other hand, every country and packs of American scientists insist CO2 is beginning to pose serious problems to the world that are only going to get worse.

Yet, if the hydrogen economy is decades away, can the world continue on it's current path? Shouldn't there be some cause for concern, some action taken?

Apparently, not as far as Detroit is concerned. In reality, the only reason that Detroit is getting involved in hybrid vehicles, is because they have no choice.

Decreasing market share has been about the only constant for American auto-makers. Without more than 100 billion dollars in incentives, a majority of American vehicles, including the supposedly popular SUVs, would simply not have sold.

Too expensive, or too intelligent?

Toyota and Honda, even after significant investments in hybrid cars, are still much better, financially, when it comes to automobile production.

The American problem isn't about expense, it's about intelligent leadership, or, more specifically, the lack thereof.

While the evidence that CO2 emissions are a significant, perhaps even the most significant, contributor to global warming might not be provable beyond a reasonable doubt, it certainly can be proven by a preponderance of evidence.

As the world continues to heat up, which it will, the questions of automotive responsibility will become clearer and clearer. To continue down the current path, much of the world's automotive industry will become susceptible to lawsuits, similar to that of smoking.

Regardless, those lawsuits will be heard in the very near future. Such willful negligence will not go unchecked. Sadly, American laborers will be the ones to suffer most.