GM wants to drive green, but easy on the rules
General Motors Corp. chairman Richard Wagoner said at the company’s annual meeting this week that GM is serious about speeding up development of the new technology required to power the electrified Chevrolet Volt., he announced the shareholders an award of two contracts for advanced development of lithium-ion batteries for its new Chevy Volt.
The Volt is being developed as part of GM's strategy to diversify away from petroleum, and is the companies top priority program due to lower oil consumption, lower oil imports, and reduced carbon emissions, Wagoner said.
However, the day after, Wagoner was in Washington with top executives from the Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Corp., arguing GM and other automakers could meet the tougher new fuel economy standards pending in Congress, informed AFP.
Wagoner said it’s time to find solutions to these critical problems and to embrace solutions that will yield the results that Americans expect and deserve. “Biofuels have by far the greatest potential to actually reduce US oil consumption, reduce oil imports, and reduce carbon gas emissions," he added.
The appearance of Wagoner and counterparts Tom LaSorda of Chrysler and Alan Mulally of Ford drew a sharp riposte from environmental and consumer groups.
Mark Cooper, director of research for the Consumer Federation of America, said the fuel-efficiency target proposed by the domestic carmakers and Japanese rival Toyota was 30 percent too low.
"America is losing the race to develop the best fuel-efficient vehicle technology," said Pam Solo of the Washington-based Civil Institute.
"Increasing fuel efficiency can simultaneously reduce our reliance on Middle Eastern oil, cut greenhouse emissions, save quality auto industry jobs and help build the US economy," added Solo.
She cited surveys of potential voters that show 75 percent favor tougher emissions standards.
Jeremy Anwyl, president of Edmunds, which operates an influential Internet site widely used by car buyers, noted his firm's data indicates sales of large SUVs and pickup trucks are slipping as consumers react to rising gasoline prices and at same time sales of small cars will increase.
Detroit's automakers, however, remain dependent on sales of gasoline-guzzling pickup trucks and large sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
However, Anthony Pratt, an analyst with Price Waterhouse automotive consultancy, noted automakers face a real dilemma-consumers are reluctant to pay for new powertrains due to the high and growing price.
United Auto Workers president Ron Gettelfinger said in a recent speech: "There’s an impression among the car-buying public that the Big Three build nothing but gas-guzzlers, while Toyota is a division of Greenpeace.”
GM officials acknowledging the serious image problem that the company has as a consequence of increasing fuel-conscious Americans.
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