Are we taxing away innovation? Did we regulate ourselves into an energy crisis?

[reality_hammer]

Sadly, the answer to both questions is "yes". While the stock market seemed to take comfort from the fact that GM staved off the inevitable loss of market leadership for one more month the reality is that both GM's short and long-term prospects are grim

Comments

Article not accurate

[anonymous]

From the following quote, "GM cannot live off of hype for much longer." you are inferring that GM is surviving off money it makes from hype. Can you please tell me how much money GM is making from their hype division?

It's also interesting how you know about Honda's pilot Hydrogen program, but nothing about GM's program. Honda must be making even more hype money!

GM's Hydrogen program is not a secret, you just need to open your mind before writing crazy comments. From my first search of GM hydrogen in Google, I came up with comments from people already driving their GM built hydrogen vehicles.

"My fuel-cell-powered Chevrolet Equinox, however, falls somewhere in between. Sure, it’s brand-new, with only 400 miles on the odometer-and pretty futuristic at that. But as one of 100 hand-picked lease-holders in GM’s Project Driveway, I only get to drive it for three months. " - http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4271419.html?nav=RSS20

Re: Article not accurate

[reality_hammer]

Well, GM long ago stopped making money off hype. It is down to cannibalizing itself to come up with the billions needed to develop a hydrogen car.

The Equinox is a bolt-on. They simply are taking 100 Equinox cars and putting a fuel cell system into it instead of a gasoline engine. GM has stated they are only "50K mile" vehicles and there isn't going to be a production line for them.

Honda's Clarity, by comparison, is a "ground up" hydrogen car; what GM hoped it would have in the Sequel and for production models, it's "Gen 3" car...which will not be in showrooms until at least 2011. Maybe.

Are people going to wait 3 more years when they can get a Clarity this year or next year?

As for GM "test" vehicles, try Googling "EV1".

I would love it if GM turned things around, but time is running out for them.

Re: Article not accurate

[anonymous]

I was just saying you can't make money off hype. At least not since the .com bubble burst. GM made nice profits over the years selling exactly what the American consumer wanted. Just as their international operations made money selling what the rest of the world wanted. International is still making money. It's the change in domestic demand that is hurting all the car companies, not just GM. But for the big 3, their home market was their most important. The impact of this demand change is hardest on them, and it's not just because of poor judgment by GM management. Even Toyota with its Prius success is suffering from the demand shift.

The importance you place on the Clarity being a "ground up" as opposed to a "bolt-on" is not that great. It's the hydrogen fuel cell technology that matters. If you want an all new vehicle going into production in 2010, use the Volt which is an electric car. The gas engine which charges the battery can be replaced with a fuel cell, and presto, you have a "ground up" hydrogen car.

Can you give me your reference that the Clarity will be available for sale (i.e. mass production) "this year or next year"? I'm assuming the source is Honda. Was it a press release of a spokesman from the company. If this was true, Honda would quickly became larger than GM and Toyota combined.