Government money for Jaguar hybrids

Tax money required for hybridization?

Last year Jaguar received almost $800 million in government loans to keep the automaker alive. This year the EU has granted another $500 million to Jaguar to develop hybrid cars.

Why?

Does the world really need Jaguar, even a hybrid Jaguar?

Jaguar seeks some Karma

Luxury plug-ins are the rage!

Tesla. Fisker. How many more names was it going to take for established luxury auto makers to realize that plug-ins represented an important niche for niche luxury auto makers?

Not much longer for Jaguar.

Now that Jaguar is a little better financed, according to MotorTrend, the luxury automaker is ready to roll out a new plug-in hybrid version of the XJ sedan around 2011, and a number of other hybrid vehicles are also planned.

I know most of us can't afford these luxury hybrids - I certainly cannot - still it has really been amazing how resistant established automakers, including luxury makers, have been to change. One might have assumed these niche players would have been quicker to react than the the major players, but they've been in the same denial.