Hybrid
cars, trucks, and SUVs: All vehicles hybrid
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The Automobile: A
case study in American stupidity?
Tuesday,
August 15, 2006
The other day I was at a
restaurant. As I looked through the menu, I knew I
already knew what I really wanted, fish tacos and garlic
fries. Ultimately, however, I ended up with a cup of
soup and a salad. Since I knew that I was going to have
a couple of beers – I was at a microbrewery for
crying-out-loud – I thought I should at least eat
healthy.
Yet, in America, we don’t seem to ask the question of
cost-to-benefit very often, especially when it comes to
automobiles. The only question that seems to matter is
'Do I look cool?'
As Americans, far too often, we do what we want in the
whim of the moment and deal with the consequences later
– if at all.
Consequently, I couldn’t help but laugh when I read
some of Rick Wagoner’s comments at the auto industry's
Management
Briefing Seminars in Traverse City. For example
Wagoner stated, “Some of the things that we all
believe are necessary to ensure the continued strength
of the (manufacturing) sector, which I think is just
vital ... we just don't see the leadership,” stated
Wagoner regarding the White House and Congress.
Leadership!? Give me a break, Mr. Wagoner. When the
country was attacked by terrorists supported by
America’s foreign oil dependency, when hurricanes
destroyed oil refineries and demonstrated America’s
overly stretched oil addiction, what was GM’s
leadership?
Did you, Mr. Wagoner, announce that GM would produce as
many hybrid
cars as possible, as quickly as possible? Did you
announce that GM would launch a new line of smaller
vehicles?
No!!!! Instead, GM launched a new line of their biggest
gas-guzzlers and hyped-up the future launch of some
muscle cars.
That’s leadership?
Let’s remember GM’s Bob Lutz admitted that GM could
have beaten, or at least equaled, Toyota’s hybrid
vehicle success by just diverting a FRACTION
of their yearly marketing budget to hybrid
production. Instead of selling the idea that buying a
gas-guzzler is some sort of freedom, GM could have been
making hybrids. Yet, GM’s full hybrids STILL are not
on the road.
Decades ago, America was dramatically warned about its
growing oil addiction. Since, year after year, a growing
group of Americans, including many scientists and
national security experts, has continued to warn the
auto industry and leaders in Washington about the
dangers of this addiction. Even when Washington was
willing to act, such as by raising fuel economy
standards, the lobbyists from Detroit have prevented
such action claiming, year after year for decades, that
such legislation would interfere with fuel cell
development.
Yet, after decades of ‘fuel cell vehicles are just
around the corner’ talk, fuel cell vehicles are still
decades away.
Sure some Democrats will try to blame Republicans for
their oil ties, but even Democrats haven’t stood
firmly on this issue. For example, not all Republicans
are against raising fuel economy standards and Democrats
have had opportunities to make a stand, however, they
never have. Enough Democrats, usually those controlled
by the UAW, always vote against such a move.
When it comes to inefficient, foreign oil guzzling
automobiles, there is plenty of blame to go around,
PLENTY. While a lot of that blame goes to American
automobile consumers, much more of it goes to the
leaders in Detroit – if you can even call them that.
After 9/11, after Katrina, GM could have launched a
visionary marketing campaign, such as the Independence
Campaign. Instead of using billions of dollars EVERY
YEAR marketing the virtues of owning a
foreign-oil-increasing gas guzzler, GM could have used
that money to explain why the cost of GM vehicles was
increasing: Because every fuel saving technology was
being utilized to reduce foreign oil dependency, because
GM would be the world’s hybrid vehicle leader, because
GM would lead the world in small vehicles sales, because
GM would LEAD America into a better
world.
Nothing, not even corporate profits, could be more
important, GM could have told us. This was war and
Americans and American companies MUST work together to
achieve Independence. Ending oil dependence is today’s
Revolutionary War, they could have told us.
Then again, garlic fries always taste better than salad
anyway.
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>
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