CNBC Powerlunch: GM’s hybrid sales are a green barometer?
GM’s wildly popular mild hybrid?
I’m a big fan of CNBC. In fact, it’s probably my favorite TV station, even though they have an obvious Wall Street perspective – which often means a conservative, Republican slant. Still, I think overall, they usually keep this slant in check.
Nonetheless, the silliness that sometimes oozes from the mouths of some of the CNBC talent is disappointing – usually from the mouth of Caruso-Cabrera. For instance, a few minutes ago, PowerLunch used GM’s hybrid vehicle sales to point out that green vehicles aren’t a good direction for the US auto industry.
Are you kidding me? Since when has GM been a hybrid leader? A green vehicle leader? How could any intelligent person suggest that GM is a hybrid potential barometer?
Today, the majority of hybrid owners buy hybrid cars, especially the Toyota Prius, because they want to do something for the environment. They want to fight global warming. These buyers are willing to pay extra to stand up for their beliefs and convictions.
Most important, these people would never buy a huge SUV, even if it is a hybrid, such as the Chevy Tahoe hybrid. 20 mpg just doesn’t cut if for most of today’s hybrid buyers.
Aside from GM’s large hybrids, GM also offers a few mild hybrid vehicles that offer a mile or two per gallon more than their conventional counterparts. Again, that’s not much of a statement, is it? If GM was a real hybrid player, they’d have a Prius competitor. They don’t. End of story.
Yet the Powerlunch crew believes that GM’s hybrid sales are a good barometer of green vehicle potential? Can they really be that clueless?
