GM understands the market place. Most Customers want a low price and a car that will project whatever image the particular customer wants.
GM is making this "half-a-hybrid to undercut the price of a real hybrid and to give customers and GM a good earth image. Hybrids will not amount to more than 5% of the market.
It is a piety that all this good diesel technology, that, if GM used to provide way better fuel mileage, is for not. Simply because the diesel is 20% more than gas!
Even with the last two gas crisis, where people waited for gas, it did not change the long term buying habits of the typical american. GM knows this.
Only when the Federal Government declares a war ON oil and its uses, instead of a war FOR oil, will americans free themselves from oil. And no longer will an American President fell the need to "hold hands" with Saudi Royality.

We should pass a law that only new cars/truck cars of GVW of 10K lbs or less be zero emissions after 2016.

Um.... 10$ improvement from BAS? That's going from 24mpg to 26.4 --- whooop de doo. You could get the same with some changes to aerodynamics and tire tread/pressure. Hell, the 2.5 Nissan X-Trail gets 27mpg city without the added complexity/expense of BAS. Like Scott says, GM seems to be doing a half-assed implementation; for the sake of retaining market share and being able to restore the markup sacrificed in their employeee price program, perhaps. Either way - weak.

GM sux.

If the market really wanted EVs and Hybrids then these guys would be falling over themselves to cash in on it. Right now they can safely ride the bandwagon of the word "hybrid" without having to really be a hybrid. I mean, what IS a hybrid? If they add a couple batteries to boost a Suburban up a steep hill that technically is a hybrid, even if the overall gas mileage isn't any better.

I'd love to see more folks making their own EVs, buying fuel efficient hybrids, or even walking to work instead. But what I think and what other people need are two different things but it gets your message out and others may follow.

You do have power: follow your convictions, set your own examples. Sure, you might spend more buying a hybrid or skin your knuckles making your own electric car or motorcycle.

-Jerry

http://www.evconvert.com/

Actauly the reason they arnt going to small hybrids is they already loose money on each small car the make because of labor costs. It costs them around 2500 in labor MORE then honda to make each car and that doesnt change just becuse the car got smaller. Now concider a small car might go for 8-10k and thats a problem a BIG problem.

Thier solution is elegant and simple they make and sell most all thier small cars overseas and only sell what they must in the us. Once they can finish going bankrupt and burn out all the fat they will likely be back to making small cars in the 2015 2020 timeframe and that happens to be when they also plan to make hydrogen cars.. and guess what a hydrogen car would need a whole new production plant... funny how that worked out aint it.

They don't make like they use to, so if you want something new get an old one.

What it is with so many car makers today, but especially the big domestic slugs? I mean, why don't they do much more than they do? It's not true there is no market for cars that get 100 miles to the gallon, do they think we are stupid enough to believe that??? Oil is now what, 72 bucks a barrel and rising? All it takes is a hiccup in the oil delivery chain and North America starts to go into the next depression. The average gas mileage for all new cars sold is worse today than it was 20 years ago?! because everyone has to have their big bad 6 liter pickup trucks to scream their engines cruising through town today.

There is so much technology that isn't even released: did you know, for example (and this is no lie--ask your chemistry teacher), that there is a bonefied chemical reaction where if you put 7 or 8 parts water and mix it with one part gasoline, with heat applied, in the right conditions, it produces a fuel that burns better than gas alone? (isn't always practical though, because large quantities of water have to be kept hot in the vehicle always--not good in winter!), but the gas companies buy this kind of technology up and sit on it like the fat, greedy, "I don't care what happens to the world tommorow because I'll be dead then" losers they are. It's wrong I tell you!

What I want to know, is how much does the gas lobby pay to buy the co-operation of the big three auto makers, so they continue making more gas guzzlers then ever, while mocking people who would be more stewardly with the world's resources with their version of environmentally friendly cars? How much do they pay? How much!?? Can anyone answer me on this one???

What happened? It may seem simple minded, but honestly and pointedly put, what happened to supporting the U.S. and it's products? Mistakes are made, and outside resources are used, but all in all the majority of where we stand should fall under the title and heading of the power to support our own people, everyone talks it in direct words, but when it is outside the patriotism evoked by a passionate moment, our words become all slander and no one walks the walk or follows what they so vehemently spoke of in support of our own country when they were rallied up at moments of turmoil such as 911. A small and simple thing, but these are the things that life is made of, and cumulatively, the things that create our country as a whole, and I dont see much of that support here, even in the simple things.
I am not telling you to go in blind, on an obvious note - as already stated,(and as I will again) that researched facts as opposed to hear-say should hold more power to the wiser person than the average ignorant and lazy (too lazy to find out the truth of things) individual. You may find the companies structuring the workforce of our country are far stronger, more ingenious, and on top of things than you think. Find the facts, the logic and reason behind things, and the plans for the future, and your previous opinions may be shattered and replaced by a respect for something you simply did not understand.
GO AMERICA AND KEEP WORKING GM!!!!

Hi, I guess I have to respond now because you quoted my post from a few days ago. Just a few words of qualification. For starters, I’m not sure if you’re even serious when you ask if I looked for the facts before I posted my post. Gas just hiked 33% from it’s already high figure in the last two days where I live. I’m sure you’ve suffered the same agony.

Then we have companies like Dodge, who apparently thought their 5.7 liter Hemi engine wasn’t big enough, so they are making a new 6.0 or 6.1 liter hemi with even worse mileage now. Examples like this could be multiplied from many companies. Yes, even some Japanese companies. If you would have quoted my letter correctly, you would note that I slammed them all for not doing what they could, with the domestic companies being the worst. (Yeah, I know, it’s easy to talk in my shoes!)

And as for all the mileage figures you gave, where in the world do you get your information from? I thought your info was fishy when you said a Honda got worse mileage than a comparable Chevy, so I confirmed everything you said to be false. Bogus. You need to get better intel before you say stuff like this!

You are saying that the Chevy Malibu gets better mileage than any other comparably equipped midsize car? Look up www.internetautoguide.com, one out of many sites, that will give you stats and specs. This particular site is one of the most thorough I’ve seen and will give you more info on your car than you wanted to know! These are the specs for the 2005 Malibu and then the 2005 Accord, both 4 cylinders, and *non-hybrid.*

2005 Chevrolet Malibu Performance & Efficiency Standard Features:

- 2,189 cc 2.2 liters in-line 4 front engine with 86 mm bore, 94.6 mm stroke, 10 compression ratio, double overhead cam and four valves per cylinder L61
- Unleaded fuel 87
- Fuel economy EPA highway (mpg):34 and EPA city (mpg): 24
- Multi-point injection fuel system
- 16.3 gallon main unleaded fuel tank
- Power: 108 kW , 145 HP SAE @ 5,600 rpm; 155 ft lb , 209 Nm @ 4,000 rpm

2005 Honda Accord Performance & Efficiency Standard Features:

- 2,354 cc 2.4 liters in-line 4 front engine with 87 mm bore, 99 mm stroke, 9.7 compression ratio, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder
- Unleaded fuel 87
- Fuel economy EPA highway (mpg):34 and EPA city (mpg): 26
- Multi-point injection fuel system
- 17.1 gallon main unleaded fuel tank
- Power: 119 kW , 160 HP SAE @ 5,500 rpm; 161 ft lb , 218 Nm @ 4,500 rpm

You will also notice that the Honda not only has a 8 percent more displacement and makes roughly 10 more horse, it has better city mileage at the same time—more efficient and environmentally friendly in every area.

As for the rest of your information, it is all equally false. Look yourself: the 2005 Honda Pilot gets 22/17 miles per gallon (highway/city) compared to the 2005 Trail blazer’s 21/16 mpg. Again, as for the Suburban, that tank doesn’t get better mileage than anything except an M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank! The 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser gets 16/13 mpg, the 2004 Toyota Sequoia gets 18/14 mpg, and the Nissan Armada gets 19/13 mpg. What does the Suburban get? Apparently Chevy only gives information selectively (unless others have tested it in their own labs), because only the highway mileage is given: 13 miles per gallon. That’s what the city mileage is like for the others!

Friend, your congratulations are quite out of order: I didn’t slam the big domestic three because it’s the “popular” thing to do, I slammed them because they very commendably lend themselves to being slammed all on their own. I think you might have fallen for some Domestic PR of your own.

But it’s not even the individual mileage quotes that leave the big three red-faced (if they have any shame): it’s the overall corporate policies that I refer to when I call them slugs. The domestics are horrible, with Chevy and Ford being the worst probably. Every policy and indication they seem to give (where it counts and not with just fancy proto-types) shows their true colors.

For example, they (domestics) seemed to go out of their way to scorn and discredit the whole idea not only of hybrids, but plug-in’s as well. All while the technology is readily available to us right now for affordable prices! Only when they (GM particularly) find themselves getting left in the dust in sales do they do an about face and suddenly put on a smile for hybrids. (Hence my admittedly pejorative question about being bought out by the gas lobby.) This kind of two-facedness makes many people sick.

There is no perfect company, and they all have to stay competitive, but a company like Honda is probably the *least* guilty of them all. They have always been mindful of the environment, and got by with very small, very powerful, efficient and low emissioned cars as long as they could. Look at the civic in 1973 that stormed the palisades. Or many of their other vehicles. For years they would make only tiny four-cylinders and blow the doors off the bigger domestic stuff in power, reliability and efficiency. They only introduced 6 cylinders a number of years ago to remain competitive. For 2006-2007 they are getting huge fuel mileage boosts across the board again of up to 30%. But what do the domestics do? “Bigger engines, more fuel, who cares what the consequences.”

There simply is no comparison between, say, a Honda and a GM or Ford as far as company policy or track record goes. I did my research: *you* weren’t as thorough. Sorry, if you want to be patriotic and all, that’s your call; I didn’t mean to alienate people too badly, but I still call the big 3 domestics *slugs!* If they don’t want to show concern for anything except their wallets at the expense of our limited resources, and release inferior quality products when they have money to improve, then let them go out of business and better companies rise up in their place. That’s business. And I care more about letting my children enjoy this good creation than feeding the belly of the monsters that would destroy it quickest. (besides, half of the “domestic” stuff is outsourced and made elsewhere anyway, and much of the “Japanese” is made here in North America.)

Color me not only unimpressed by utterly disgusted by GM et al. How about producing a hybrid CAR, not SUV, such as the Toyota Prius or Honda Insight, which is what a significant demographic of their customers CLEARLY WANT, and which is what would be the environmentally responsible thing to do, not to mention the financially far-sighted thing to do, as fossil fuels are sooooooo last milenium. True, hybrids still use fossil fuel, of course, but GM and the other American car makers need to at least move forward enough to get to hybrids, which get significantly better gas mileage. Aaaah, but therein lies the rub. They do not WANT us to every move to alternatively-powered vehicles, let alone even to getting better gas mileage with hybrids. No, they want us to keep right on guzzling gas FOREVER so that the oil industry, which they are completely tied to, can continue profitting FOREVER, but guess what? There is a limited supply of fossil fuel. One day, the party is going to be over and so TODAY is the day that they should begin moving into the future, so that--nevermind saving the environment, they don't care about that or understand that language--they can CONTINUE TO PROFIT by selling alternatively-powered vehicles.

But they won't even produce hybrid CARS! As a Saturn customer, I've been begging them to produce a Saturn hybrid for years, as have many others. And this is their answer, to once again promise that a Saturn hybrid *SUV* is coming? Big flippin' deal, I don't want some 20 mph SUV that is going to go to 30 mph or whatever! That is TOKENISM at its best: they get to say they are producing a hybrid, while simply maintaining the status quo.

NOT impressed here.

Is it possible to put a flex fuel engine into an existing car?

All gasoline vehicles w/ fuel injection are capable of running on E85 w/ proper fuel injection kits , fuel lines and fuel tank. Also a computer to determine the fuel ratio of the fuel you are using . whether it be gas or E85. this technology is not new to the world , Brazil has had this Technology for years . Its just because of the fact climate change has become such a big issue now as a result of human activity in the US and in the rest of the world. Problem is that there arent any conversions available except in the ford products . Of course now the big fours are either stepping up to the plate are increasing the portfolio of Fuel Flexible vehicles . But regardless , the big four should be doing better . WAY BETTER . Say like FUEL FLEXIBE Hybrids compact Vehicles , not just TRUCKS and SUV's. And just to let people know what's gonna be going on in the days to come , I had heard on the new that ideas in washington are being stirred up, they want to slap an impact fee on those who drive Hybrid vehicles because the The Department of Transportation is saying that because vehicles are becoming more fuel efficient , that less tax revinues are being collected and the money isn't gonna be there to maintain roads and highways , so bsaically there gonna raise the registration fees on those vehicles to recoupe those losses in revinue. ... Kinda defeats the purpose of of the whole hybrid idea and becoming less dependent on Foreign oil.