Posted on 02/15/2010 8:31:08 AM PST by neverdem
Detroit — What if the vehicles of the future don’t make money?
General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz continued his habit of talking truth to power last week — despite the fact that his company is now a subsidiary of the U.S. government. GM owners Barack Oama and Nancy Pelosi routinely claim that America is transitioning to a green transportation future, but Lutz stepped all over their lines at an industry event Friday when he said that hybrids will never comprise more than 10 percent of the U.S. market. Lutz was only expressing an industry consensus that hybrid-electrics are niche vehicles (like muscle cars) that enhance a company’s image but are too limited in appeal to go mainstream.
Worse, Lutz said that hybrids are money pits that will have to be subsidized by other GM vehicles.
Lutz has spearheaded GM’s plug-in Chevy Volt (due later this year) as a “halo car” enhancing GM’s green image. But he has also been skeptical of hybrids, pointing out the paradox of consumers who say they like fuel-efficient vehicles even as they are unwilling to pay hybrid premiums.
Meanwhile, Washington is pushing Detroit companies to build more hybrids. A good idea? GM’s taxpayer shareholders may want to listen to car guy Lutz.
— Henry Payne is an editorial writer and cartoonist for the Detroit News.
“GM Exec: Hybrids Are Money Losers”
...and so are those that demand their production. At least in the losing of our money.
Interesting. Lutz is a hold over who didn’t get slaughtered in the early days of the Obama take over.
Lutz will be gone shortly. Too bad, I agree with him completely. But, can’t have any dissention in Goverment Motors.
Bigger carbon footprint to build a Prius than a Hummer. And then there are those huge pesky batteries that need replacing every few years.
Such a bold statement will get Bob Lutz his walking papers... Big Nan and President Obama the lite skinned negro will not like this...
When you can get 32 - 38 mpg on the highway with a small I-4, direct injection, turbo, and still get 200+ horses, hybrids become a city only car.
Which is why hybrids appeal to community organizers.
Maybe all police departments can buy Chevy Volts. LOL
And they can lead Nobama’s motorcade.
Until we get “Car Wars”-style fuelcell electrics, clean diesels are going to be the future of “green” cars. Hybrids are not even close to the be-all end-all of non-gasoline-only vehicles.
Of course they are. They have ALWAYS been losers.
Really? I'm shocked.......................................
I bet you can’t drive them in 12” of snow and 3’ drifts either.
There's a reason gasoline has managed to stay around for all these years, and it all has to do with energy to weight ratio.
Making money is so bourgeois ...
I think the biggest problem with hybrids is the dork factor.
They need to drop “green” as a marketing technique which in mind mind automatically is associated with weak, mold, yuck, puke, et. Just create a car that is efficient,looks cool, not dorky, and is cost effective for my budget. We all want more efficient cars but we don’t want one that looks like a Corolla and sells for a 1/3 more.
Hybrids pollute more than a Hummer! Stop making them.
Although, the High MPG cars do serve a purpose...
The Gov't, in its infinite wisdom, mandates minimum "Fleet" MPG's for the automakers. No idea what it is now, but let's just say for argument's sake that it's 30mpg.
So.....let's just say that the "fleet" is comprised of nine Corvettes - a car that most people actually WANT - that get 12 mpgs. The "fleet average" is 12 mpgs (duh) so the Feddle Gov't stomps all over GM.
BUT, just add one - ONE - Chevy Volt into the mix. At 200 mpg (theoretically), the ten car fleet now has an average mpg rating of 30+ miles per gallon. Never mind that evil gas guzzling Corvettes are outselling the "politically correct" cars 9 to 1 .... The Fed is happy and goes away.
Just sayin'. Hybrids accomplish three things:
1. They *do* serve a purpose. For instance, if I was doing a ton of stop and go city driving, a hybrid would be perfect.
2. There are still people that love - LOVE - hybrids. Remember that there are people who love Yugos and Renaults, as well. That's a whole 'nother conversation, though.
3. Mostly, hybrids just allow the car companies to sell vehicles that people really want to buy.
For some reason, the more solar panels you have on your roof, the higher your consumption of electricity. I guess people figure that if they “appear” to be environmentally conscious, they don’t feel guilty leaving all the lights on and running the dishwasher when it’s half empty. I think Al Gore fits that profile to a tee.
He’s right. They’re stupid, too, in almost every rational analysis. They don’t save resources, either.
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