Fairly good article, although some will disagree about the "failed EV-1" comment - but since GM took it off the market and didn't follow up on the technology, it is failed, just not because of consumer demand. Also, I didn't buy the Prius because it had a unique look, in fact the look was initially a negative for me, but I've become accustomed to it, and understand its aerodynamics. Other than that I liked the article. Excerpt: "General Motors does not seem to understand why Toyota Motor’s (nyse: TM - news - people ) Prius hybrid got everyone so excited. For starters, Prius is a distinct model--one that does not look like anything else on the road. Every Prius is a rolling billboard for Toyota and its hybrid technology. While every Prius customer may not get the stated mileage of 60/51 (city/highway) mpg, they should get somewhere in the mid 40s. Just imagine what we would think about GM if the Prius was a Chevrolet, and if GM has used the $1 billion it spent on its failed electric car, the EV-1, to develop a unique hybrid car. Maybe GM’s investment in fuel cell technology will pan out some day. Maybe someday. The company has made progress in improving the efficiency and reducing the cost of fuel cell vehicles, but it is still several orders of magnitude away from making this technology financially viable. In addition, the distribution infrastructure for hydrogen is a far bigger obstacle than retrofitting today’s service stations for E85." See http://www.forbes.com/2006/05/15/gm-fuel-s...artner=yahootix
> What should GM do to enhance its reputation in fuel economy? For starters, it should Take the Pledge: Every new car and truck will have better fuel economy that its predecessor. That's a joke. Ford pulled that stunt already. When Prius was first introduced in the United States, they pledged to reduce consumption of their vehicles by 25% within 5 years. Then, right before the deadline, they recanted. For years, they had fooled consumers into believing they were going to deliver sometime. But instead, during that time their choices actually caused overall concumption to increase. Now, they have hybrid technology available but aren't even doing anything to spread its use.
