Forbes
Getting on the Hybrid Train? Unbelievable!
Tuesday,
May 16, 2006
A week or so
ago, a number of articles hit the web announcing sluggish
sales of hybrid
cars. Then a few weeks later, another round of
articles announced that hybrid sales were again hot. One
of those articles, Hybrids
Stuck In Neutral clearly covered the main issues
behind the so-called sales slump, but it was the
conclusion of the story that really hit me.
"A half-century ago, General Motors CEO Charles
Wilson boasted, "What's good for General Motors is
good for America." The bloom is off that rose, and
lately GM has been grasping for straws, promoting its
conventional Chevrolet lineup as "An American
Revolution." With all due respect, a real
"American Revolution" in the car business would
be to move the country to hybrids."
Forbes publishing a hybrid revolution article?
Unbelievable!
While Forbes has been a bit bearish regarding hybrids in
the past, their change in tone wasn't just a temporary
flinch. Today, Forbes published, GM's
Fuelish Talk which takes a hard look at GM's
automotive business. Again, while a clear and concise
article, it was the conclusion that struck me.
"Finally, I think that GM should rise to the
challenge of the Toyota
Prius and make its own unique hybrid--something
special, akin to the BMW Mini. If done right, the company
could keep a factory busy making this vehicle, and get top
dollar for it, too."
While I've made this claim numerous times, it's great to
hear such a sentiment repeated by such a conservative
business magazine.
posted by Dahcredyns at 9:12
AM
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