General Motors plans to unveil prototype plug-in hybrid at the at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. GM has a new company-wide focus on "electrifying" the car, GM officials said Thursday.
In an interview with Motor Trend published in July, GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said killing the $1 billion EV1 program was his worst decision. He said it did not affect the automaker's profitability, but did hurt its image (which affected GM's profitability).
The total disconnect is getting plugged in.
In 2002 GM, recalled the electric cars it was leasing under the EV1 program and crushed them.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061110/AUTO01/611100327/1148
http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar/
He got it right when he said it didn't hurt profitability --just image. I get the feeling GM only creates programs like the electric car and the hydrogen-powered car for PR's (public relations) sake.
This way in the eyes of the public it looks like they're really trying to produce green vehicles, but in reality, they have either no intent of ever mass producing them, or they are so technologically far off that it would take 20 years to bring them to market. In the meantime, they can pump out hundreds of millions of gas-guzzlers and lobby Congress not to budge the CAFE standards.
While research in this area is important, they should be looking to improve today's car with today's technology rather than tomorrow's car with tomorrow's technology. Tomorrow is always a day away.
In the recent meeting with Bush and the big three, one of the major issues was the unfair Asian currency issue, pensions, health care.... etc. Seriously though, if GM/Ford/DC made a reliable, small (hybrid) car that got 50+ mpg, I would love to buy one from them.
Bush was beaten up earlier in the year for saying Detroit needs to build (and project through marketing) something relevant and somewhat backpedaled the statement, but it's true.
The market is speaking.