General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner said in an interview last week that the automaker needs to compete in the hybrid market for “image reasons,” and would rather see a focus on ethanol, and later, hydrogen fuel. He said it’s not clear how much further hybrid sales will grow, but there’s certainly a “natural limit” to demand for the vehicles.
GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz made similar comments in an interview in March. Speaking with CNN reporter Frank Sesno, Lutz said, “We think running the nation on E85 makes more sense than all the hybrids in the world.”
E85 fuel, as its name implies, is 85 percent ethanol. Most cars today will run on a maximum of 10 percent ethanol, but several new models now support E85.
While Lutz focused on ethanol, Wagoner also mentioned the eventuality of using hydrogen to power vehicles. However, he said the first of these cars would be “massive money losers.” Nonetheless, GM hopes to bring its first hydrogen offerings to market in 2010.
05/15, 10:37 AM
posted by:
aj
Lutz certainly knows a little about ‘massive money losers’.
05/15, 10:51 AM
posted by:
Scootness
With gas at $3 per gallon…I would definitely buy a hybrid! E85 is great but it gets poor fuel economy. It is a “feel good” thing more than anything. Give us an American made hybrid CAR that would get 40+mpg and you would have a home-run!!!
05/15, 11:02 AM
posted by:
bill
what about a hybrid that runs on E85. Holy crap, I am a genius.
05/15, 11:46 AM
posted by:
Anonymous
When it takes 3/4gal of gas or diesel to make a gal. of ehtanol – you can’t pipe it and it’s more dangerous to ship by truck – it needs a whole new production system – it needs massive gvmt. subsidies to farmers … even the name is a give-away: E85 really means: ‘85% Energy’. Con job from your friends at the government who also wants to mine your phone calls.
Have Alfred E Neuman ask his brother Jeb if we can tap the oil and gas off Florida… Then legislate Excursions, Hummers, etc off the road with fewer than 9 people in them.
j i m
05/15, 12:02 PM
posted by:
chris
Oil/gas has been used for 100 years. We need to import almost all of it for our countries use. Regular gas is around $3/gallon. I have read where E85 is at $2/gallon now. The infrastructure for gasoline has been around forever and paid for. E85 is even cheaper w/o the infrastructure in place yet. Yes it is subsidized but the real story is too confused in rhetoric that I suggest we let the public decide with their votes and pocket books.
As far as I am concerned lets give it a few years and see where it gets us, as long as they do not ask us for money. Lets quit importing from those countries that hate us and become a bit more independent from them. In fact it would be worth quite a bit more per gallon to break away.
05/15, 12:11 PM
posted by:
Todd
Everyone seems to be thinking about Hybrid all wrong…
If the hybid technology were just a little more mature, it should be available as an option on *all* cars and trucks sold. And vehicles with this technology shouldn’t be marketed as a fuel-saving alternative to “regular” cars and trucks.
Hybrid technology has lots to offer besides (potentially) better fuel economy. First and foremost, electric motors are much better at delivering low-RPM torque. Second, for areas that have strict noise laws, running on the electric motor and using regenerative braking (instead of compression brakes in large trucks) would help reduce noise.
Hybid technology has to get beyond the fuel-economy stigma before it’s really accepted by the general public. Manufacturers aren’t doing anything to help.
05/15, 12:44 PM
posted by:
Phil McCrackin
Good post chris. We import about 60% or so of our oil, so about 40% is domestically produced.
Canada & Mexico are the top two countroies we buy from, and they certainly don’t hate us. But some good points otherwise.
05/15, 1:34 PM
posted by:
bill
The problem with ethanol is we are making it from the wrong stuff. Making it from corn is not efficient, but making it from waste is. Too bad our agriculture lobby is huge, and waste management not so big.
E85 Hybrid made from waste. I am a genius:)
05/15, 1:49 PM
posted by:
joeb
I remain highly skeptible of ethanol as an “answer” to the US oil addiction. Instead I fear it is really just a marketing ploy by GM to sell their fake “hybrid” vehicles and a convenient cover for this country’s elected (so called) leaders to use to continue to prop up big agriculture corporations with government price supports.
Ethanol’s only real claim to fame is that…it’s not imported oil and can be mixed with gasoline.
Why is this country not pouring massive amounts of funding into a new emergency “Manhattan” like energy research projects? I look for new technology (diesel hybrids in Europe are claiming 100+mpg) instead of pork laden red herrings like ethanol to pull this country out of it’s dangerous addiction to imported oil.
06/05, 1:44 PM
posted by:
Tom
First of, to the people saying 85% enegery and they are conning us.. Well yes and no. Yes, Ethanol has less energy per volume than gasoline. HOWEVER It has the potential to be far more efficient than gassoline thanks to its higher octane raiting.
The only reason Hybrid E85 vehicles get less milage, is because they have to be able to run on both. If they make a vehicle strictly for E85 that has a higher compression ratio (think high end sports car engine) then the engine can gain back that lost milage AND improve performance and power.