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Wasting Time At The White House
In case you missed it the domestic auto makers had a meeting of the minds with the President yesterday to discuss goverment-funded alternative fuel development. I don't know why they bothered. The President isn't buying any cars these days, and if I was an executive at GM or Ford I would spend a lot more time in front of paying customers. I also wouldn't put too much faith in government intervention for domestic auto issues or flexible fuel alternatives. First of all, the meeting with Bush lasted 30 minues. By the time they got past the small talk, I'm sure there were about 20 minutes left. Sounds like a pretty complex issue for a 20 minute discussion. Flexible fuel is all about getting customers aware and excited about the technology, its effect on the environment, and its ability to lessen foreign oil dependence. PItch that message to the people who will matter most: Car buying customers.
Hybrids cost on average $3,000 more than conventional cars so that probably has something to do with the lack of excitement (hybrid sales are down from 2.1% of all auto sales in Octover to 1.8% today). It could me that customary and substitution price points for the cars we buy are nudging us toward traditional fuel consumption, not the auto industry pitching insufficient or wrong marketing messages.
Sounds like nothing but a photo opp to me. It's another example of why American car companies are in such trouble -- they're wasting time on superficial posturing and not spending enough time giving customers what they want.