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GM reverses decision, hybrid trucks in Oshawa

Hilary — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:06:08 +0000

Finally we get some good news. While the Canadian Auto Workers union says the hybrid truck line won’t be enough to boost plant production to full time, they feel it’s a victory … and so do I. When truck sales are falling for the first time in nearly 20 years and hybrid sales are through the roof, it only makes sense for GM to continue their hybrid truck production.

Best case scenario? Demand picks up and they boost production. Worst case scenario? They don’t sell, and GM closes the plant in the not-so-distant future.

The Silverado and Sierra hybrids are expected out by the end of 2008. The new two-mode hybrid system should boost fuel efficiency by 40% during city driving. You can find out more here.

Source: CTV.ca, NewCarTestDrive.com

[Image: Newscom]

Post from: EveryJoe

GM reverses decision, hybrid trucks in Oshawa

GM to Stop Making Hummers??

Hilary — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:37:15 +0000

I never thought this day would come. At a time when gas prices are really beginning to affect the way people live, not just drive, GM is closing truck and SUV plants (including the plant in Oshawa, Ontario where the hybrid Silverado/Sierras were going to be made! Grumble. Grumble.)

CEO Rick Wagoner claims the company is reviewing the Hummer’s future.
In light of a lack of interest for purchasing Hummer, GM may settle for redesigning the SUVs to much smaller scales (a la, the HX).
Read More Here

It makes sense to me that they’d scrap their vehicles that aren’t selling, and redesign classics to meet modern needs … but Why close a hybrid truck plant when gas prices are driving sales down? I know GM has made the Volt their #1 priority, but trucks are functional vehicles people are going to need, and they’re going to buy, but they’re not going to have better options. (Especially while they’re making hybrid SUVs that aren’t selling.)

Source: Car and Driver

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[Image: Newscom]

Post from: EveryJoe

GM to Stop Making Hummers??

Bad News for SUVs

Hilary — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:38:42 +0000

Kelley Blue Book came out this week, saying that more owners are selling their SUVs now than ever (even though they’d probably get better prices in fall and winter). Now it’s reporting that sales for the biggest of the hybrid SUVs – namely the Yukon and Tahoe, didn’t scratch the service of what they were “supposed” to be.

I have to agree with David Friedman, the research director heading up the Union of Concerned Scientists’ vehicle program, who – according to the NY Times – wonders if GM is serious about selling hybrid SUVs or just in improving their image. They aren’t easy to buy. If you live in certain areas, you might get one by special order, and advertising hasn’t done enough to help spread the world.

While hybrid models are only $4000 more expensive, many consumers just don’t know about them.
Source: Kelley Blue Book

NY Times

Post from: EveryJoe

Bad News for SUVs

Hybrids Clearing new Paths in China: GM’s Buick LaCross, Honda Civic, and Toyota Prius Hybrids

Hilary — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:04:05 +0000

We were just reading about China’s BYD plug-in hybrid taking the Detroit Auto Show by surprise (if not by storm) and Chang’an Automotive Group’s hybrid innovations in China, and now Honda, Toyota and GM are bringing their hybrid cars into what may be the world’s fastest growing green market.

China represents the 2nd largest auto interest in the world, and with the introduction of the Honda Civic hybrid, Toyota Prius, and Buick Lacrosse Eco-Hybrid, major automakers are making a move to take advantage of China’s new environmental trends. In fact, Toyota began producing the Prius there, partnering with China FAW Group Corp. while GM’s move into the Chinese market represents an even bigger push.

In a joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. – Shanghai GM – the companies have put into action a program they call “Drive to Green.” Beginning in mid-2008, Shanghai GM will begin releasing a slew of environmentally friendly automobiles into the Chinese market, including the new Buick Lacross Eco-Hybrid, and a line of fuel cell vehicles starting in 2010. The company plans to cut overall fuel consumption by 10% across the board.

Sources:
Marketwatch
Reuters
Shanghai Daily

Post from: EveryJoe

Hybrids Clearing new Paths in China: GM’s Buick LaCross, Honda Civic, and Toyota Prius Hybrids

Master List of Environmentally Friendly Cars

Hilary — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 01:18:38 +0000

AUDI\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nBMW\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Hydrogen7\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nCHEVY\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Equinox Hydrogen Fuel-Cell\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Malibu\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Silverado\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Tahoe\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Volt plug-in hybrid (2010)\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nDETROIT ELECTRIC\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Alias all-electric sports car\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nDODGE\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Durango\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nFORD\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Escape\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nGMC\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Sierra\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Yukon\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nHONDA\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- ~~Accord~~\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Civic\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nHYUNDAI\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Elantra LPD hybrid (2009)\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Elantra hybrid (2010)\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Sonata hybrid (2010) \\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nKIA\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Borrero SUV (2010) \\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Optima (2010) \\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nLEXUS\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- GS 450h\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- LS 600h\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- RX 400h\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nMAZDA\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Tribute HEV\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nMERCEDES-BENZ\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- S300 BlueHYBRID (late 2009)\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- s400 BlueHYBRID (2009) \\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nMERCURY\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Mariner\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Milan\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nNISSAN\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Altima AT-PZEV\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nPORSCHE\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Cayenne\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nSATURN\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Aura Green Line\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Vue Green Line\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nTESLA – all-electric\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Roadster (2009)\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nTOYOTA\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Camry\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Highlander\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Prius\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nVOLKSWAGEN\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n- Golf diesel hybrid (2010) \\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n

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Post from: EveryJoe

Master List of Environmentally Friendly Cars