A Quick Fix for Gas Guzzlers: Has Detroit Lost its Mind?
Yesterday, Thomas Friedman of the NY Times asked, "Is there a company more dangerous to America's future than General Motors? Surely, the sooner this company gets taken over by Toyota, the better this country will be," in the article A Quick Fix For Gas Addicts. Of course, GM's Bob Lutz questioned Friedman's mental state, "the majority of Americans, not being extreme liberals, and harboring a deep-seated distrust toward the media, will see his piece for what it is: the product of an unusual, but not altogether well, mind." David Cole, head of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, added, "The liberal philosophy is we ought to not be buying GM SUVs and instead buying Toyota Priuses. That's their perfect world but it's not the world in which we live" (more). So, Mr. Cole, instead of hybrid cars, the conservative philosophy is that we all drive Hummers, kill all Muslims in the Gulf states so we can take over their oil fields to have enough oil to fuel all of Detroit's gas-guzzlers?Labels: bob lutz, GM, Hybrid Vehicles, prius, toyota
posted by Dahcredyns at
10:00 AM
6 Comments:
Yup, that's Mr Cole's position. GM's lack of foresight has left it with a huge inventory of vehicles that get 10-15 mpg; unlike Ford, which already has a couple of hybrids on the market.
I read this morning that GM's solution is to offer free gas with these monsters. In another 2 years, they won't be able to give them away.
P.S. I'm the proud, prudent owner of a brand new Prius. See you at the pumps - Not!
Can we even call it a lack of foresight anymore? It seems GM is willfully continuing their production of gas-guzzlers. I would love to support a Prius-like hybrid vehicle from GM, but I don't expect to get that opportunity any time soon.
How dare you not guzzle gas, that's not very American?! Get back to the gas station!!!
There is nothing wrong with Hummers... If you convert them to run on Waste Vegetable Oil...
I run my mercedes 300 d on veggie oil and have not bought gas in over 10 months.
Someone asked me just yesterday..."Why does not everyone switch to veggie oil to run their car?"... That is the million dollar question. The answer is that people are morons! Why do you think they bought the SUV in the first place? Because they could not see what was coming. People get what they deserve.
I hope gas gets up to $6 a gallon. Then people would finally be paying the "True price".
There is no doubt that biofuels are excellent fuel choices, but at this point in time, biofuels cannot replace America's demand for fuel.
Moreover, as demand for biofuels increases, the law of supply and demand will mandate that the price of biofuels also increase.
Above everything I have read and heard, I like the term 'carbon footprint' the most. The term causes a person to devote more thought to every nuance of their consumption. Can I do more with less. If yes, then I can certainly use less by doing less... less boating, less driving, less eating. Soon you see, less is more.
Simply replacing gasoline with E or Bio fuels is not the solution. We cannot continue forward with the current transportation paradigm. We cannot sustainably support asphalt futures and the continued heating up of the environment from engines and fuel byproducts. We need innovation, from the greatest sources.
It is estimated that the earth receives 10,000 times more energy than it needs - from the sun. When are we going to raise our eyes and our voices to collectively realize that the choices have been given. It's entirely up to us to act. Cut 20% each day at Cut20.com - Ride your bike to work !
I like carbon footprints and conservation as well. In the short term it is the most effective thing any one person can do.
Still, many say forget hybrid cars, just drive small cars, just conserve. I say that is foolish. I just don't see that happening. Conservation is great, but it isn't THE answer.
Moreover, I think that population explosions are more likely than population decreases - caused by bird-flu, etc. Thus, we need to use our technologies and innovations to decrease our "carbon footprint".
Technology is, has to be, a huge part of the solution.
Additionally, I like your solar plug. Solar power is too good, that's the problem. Oil isn't efficient, which keeps profits high for corporations. A few small break-throughs in solar technology and solar energy makes the energy industry less profitable - at least in today's thinking. Ultimately it is things like solar power which will enable man to truly explore space.
Americans - why are we so damned short-sighted? We have so much power, so much potential, but we care more about looking cool. It's just so pathetic.
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