In the current age of anti-SUV vehicle-buying sentiment from the U.S. public, American automakers have had a tumultuous time trying to shift directions on a dime. Consumer sentiment can change with the wind, and triggers like a 50% increase in gas prices can come out of nowhere to completely obliterate profit margins of automakers that aren't in tune with those changes.Toyota Motor Co. (NYSE: TM) is one automaker that seems to have seen this day coming years ago as it had early editions of hybrid vehicles on showroom floors and in volume long before other mass-market competitors. Sure, Honda and General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) were there with experiments too, but the Prius hybrid from Toyota stole the show.
Even now, with gas prices marching ever upward, both GM and Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) have been slow moving with hybrid vehicle introductions. In 2006, Ford's Escape small SUV was a great seller and the company is poised for more. What is in GM's back pocket?
Not much. At least not publicly. Projects like the GM Volt and E85 cars and trucks are there, but what about gas/electric hybrids? Nada. And the maddening part is, GM has the stuff to make it happen. What if GM came out with an iconic American nameplate (as in, a sports car brand) that had muscle and great gas mileage? Like matching a new hybrid system with GM's V8 Camaro (a Chevy product)? That could happen...but it's not. Why not?
GM could take the U.S. market by storm by having a sports car or slick entry into the fast-growing hybrid market soon (like, now). The automaker made a slight profit in its last quarter. Taking the lead in hybrid technology could be a major save for the company, although it still faces an uphill battle; it's own inertia toward innovation, for example. Without it, how does it hope to fend off nimble, ferocious Toyota?











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-16-2007 @ 11:48PM
A D said...
Toyota builds a hybrid Lexus "barge", the 600h.
It gets worse mileage and marginal performance at a massive price.
GM is letting Toyota do all the screwing up. Unfortunately the writer here is busy making up excuses for Toyota.
8-17-2007 @ 6:54AM
Al said...
Another unjustified anti GM article. It's easy for anyone to sit down an write an anti GM article. GM is the technological leader in SUV's with their two mode hybrids. There is nothing out there that can touch them. The GM Volt which is scheduled to come out in 2010 will surpass anything anyone will have out there,also. Toyota has announced that they are having problems with their lithium ion battery while GM is making great strides, which means the Chevy Volt is ahead. No, the writer could not acknowledge these facts.
8-17-2007 @ 8:06AM
Scott Reed said...
"What is in GM's back pocket?"
Hybrid Aura, Hybrid Silverado, Hybrid Malibu, to start.
GM offers hybrids, but "reporters" like yourself don't bother to pay attention, because you're too enamored of a niche vehicle called the Prius. And now you throw a fit because they don't plan on offering one in a muscle car? Quit printing this biased BS, and look at what is really being offered.
8-19-2007 @ 2:38PM
matthew said...
Is thier really a demand for a hybrid muscle car? Gm would produce either a powerful muscle car or a fuel efficient hybrid vehicle. Purposing one single inferior product with so-so muscle and so-so fuel economy would sell like the pontiac aztec, appeal to 2 market segments with 2 products not one. Gm;s decision is rooted in the market forces not laziness.
8-18-2007 @ 8:41AM
Fran Preve said...
As has been said this guy is a typical IGNORANT so call "expert" AKA anal-ist. Hey stupid, the Camaro is marketed to a COMPLETELY different car buyer than your "greenies", they don't want and won't buy a Camaro hybrid. You call yourself an expert, your not even close.
9-26-2007 @ 4:26PM
Medmann41 said...
What blows my mind these days is thay we made it from a sputnick type of satellite to landing on the moon in like a decade....and we can't figure out how to make a more fuel effecient engine or supper batteries to run cars...in that 10 years while racing to the moon hundreds of necessary items and technologies were developed that were not there previously(teflon and super computers for example) but they can't get cars in general to at least double or triple their gas milage.....what is needed is a Manhattan type project to get it rolling...before we either run out of crude oil or can't get anymore from the Arabs or our good buddy Hugo!!!
9-07-2007 @ 1:58PM
Brandon said...
Have you even looked at GM lately. They are way ahead of Toyota in the "Greeness". They have a propulsion system for everything of all different types. There new Tahoe SUV is set to get over 30MPG this year and tow over 12,000 lbs. They will also be doing the same two mode hybrids in many of there cars this year and next year. There V8 cars will put out less polution and get better MPG and have more HP than most all Toyota or Honda has. This over the next 2 years. Then there is the Volt after that, of which will fit into the HHR and other compact cars. Also they off all these on E85. There full sized SUVs are set to be at around 36MPG by 2 years with direct injection, AFM, Two mode hybrid full sized SUVs that put out even more HP than the current ones. Hmmm thats better than the Camry hybrid with a over 400HP, 6000lb SUV. Do your research before publishing such an anti GM story. Just because they haven't had a "prius" the past few years don't mean they won't have anything. GM has even won many awards this year for there plants being green. IMO they are the greenest of them now. As soon as these new cars/trucks hit the market the game is going to change. At least GM knows not every one is going to use a cookie cutter propusion system. GM is coming at it from all angles at the same time while Toyota and now Volvo decided to Folow GM's example with the Volt.
9-12-2007 @ 8:15AM
Tom said...
Wow, Brian White. You got p3wned by the readers. LOL. I think you need to find a new career, because it looks like journalism is not your best choice. Surely you are not that dumb. It is Obvious you car bashing GM. That is with a capital "O".