Screaming Penguin - Source Does Matter

Or in the Rocky and Bullwinkle multiple title tradition, why the hell is the American auto industry headed by asshats?

"'As long as [gas] is around $2 per gallon here, people will exercise their freedom to buy the vehicle they want, V8 engine and all . . Forcing us to alter the fleets to hit some theoretical average won't change what consumers want, or what they'll buy.'"

Vice chairman and the head of GM's global product development team, Bob Lutz.

At a time when the United States is mired in yet another middle eastern conflict involving our dependence on oil (whether or not you believe oil is primary, let's agree it is involved), and when the world faces an obvious and real threat from global warming (despite the "jury is still out" crowd that is ignoring something called actual "science" on all fronts) and other environmental effects, *AND* when the economy involving US automakers is struggling because of, frankly, better made and more efficient foreign competitors, the leader of one of the big 3 still, and again, opposes CAFE standards.

I am not quite sure how else to put this but what more would it take for GM to get a clue? What GM needs to do is start building better cars (regardless of fuel economy, have a quick look at reliability ratings over the last 2 decades) and also more efficient cars BECAUSE IT IS BETTER FOR THE COUNTRY, PLANET AND ECONOMY IN THE LONG RUN.

Yes, agreed, the Japanese, Korean and basically any other foreign countries automakers are far ahead of the US, but does that mean we should whine and bitch about credits and CAFE standards or rather that we should get the fuck to work and maybe INNOVATE for once since the turn of the 19th century?

We invented the damn automobiles, why now do we buy electric motor parts for the few hybrids we make from Japanese companies? Well, because we have had "leadership" like Lutz for way too damn long and the big three have constantly poo pooed efficient or environmentally progressive vehicles (and no the current Ford "green" campaign based on it's ethanol capable vehicles does not count, that is a specious attempt to court dumbass environmentalists, not a real effort to solve any problems long term). All along Honda and Toyota have made smaller, more efficient cars, AND SOLD THE FUCK OUT OF THEM IN THE UNITED STATES (while Lutz still says that is not what consumers want) - *that* is why they have credits, not just because they make a token few here and there - no, they actually sell these things.

In point of fact the big three nowadays are playing catch-up and trying to emulate the Japanese automakers at every turn. Yes, I agree the CAFE standards with credits would be harder on American companies, but that is not the fault of the Japanese companies? That is because the American companies have been dicking around marketing and pushing Hummers and Yukons (GM for ya - commercials with Hummers boldly going offroad to the precipice of a cliff when the actual penis challenged buyers never go near anything even resembling a dirt road) rather than the opposite. If the fact that George W. Bush is President has taught us anything it should at least teach us that marketing matters.

This is "our country" and GM needs to do some actual work to try to lead the pack, rather than just whining and falling behind, or they are only going to screw it up even more.

CAFE standards that dictate greater overall fleet fuel economy should be passed, and if it means an advantage to companies that have better, more efficient, lower emissions vehicles, regardless of their nation of origin, then so the hell be it.

  GM slams possible fuel economy changes