GM to Spend up to 9 Billion to Crush Toyota Hybrid Stranglehold

GM to Spend up to 9 Billion to Crush Toyota Hybrid Stranglehold
The latest news coming out of Detroit is that General Motors is planning to launch a range of fuel efficient vehicles to take back the market share that it has lost to Toyota. GM will use part of the expected $9 billion in savings from its extensive cost cutting to invest in technologies including hybrid-electric drivetrains with batteries that can recharge at any power outlet, more efficient gasoline engines as well as hydrogen-powered fuel cell models. The General hopes to launch several new models as well as hybrid versions of its existing models such as the Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck to sell alongside the Saturn Vue Green Line that went on sale this month.

GM is expected to make an announcement before the end of the year, and has mentioned that the company has already spent more cash on its automobile business than it was actually receiving in sales. A special taskforce has been set up to develop the new “plug-in hybrids” under the in-house name of I-car or Icon car. Plug-in hybrids recharge when the vehicle isn’t in use and switch to the gasoline engine when the batteries are drained.

We’re surprised GM hasn’t placed diesel technology high on its agenda. The virtues of diesel have already been proven, and its popularity in Europe is testament to its benefits. For the first time ever, diesel powered new cars are outselling their gasoline counterparts in Western Europe.



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mitchatlexusofmarinmitchatlexusofmarin - 10/31/2006 11:23:13 AM
+5 Boost
The chairman of Toyota announced at a Lexus dealer meeting in Chicago 3 weeks ago that Toyota is spending- get this- $26,000,000 ---PER DAY on r&d to crush the competition. Much of it is going towards new Lexus products worldwide. That far exceeds anything GM will spend.


Agent009Agent009 - 10/31/2006 11:49:43 AM
-1 Boost
It would be foolish to discount GM


mitchatlexusofmarinmitchatlexusofmarin - 10/31/2006 12:52:19 PM
+2 Boost
Agreed, but Toyota is making battle plans as if it is a war that they intend to win.


XYZZXYZZ - 11/1/2006 1:39:35 AM
+2 Boost
is some fraction of this, what toyota spends on F1, Craftsman Truck, & nascar?

(in addition to actual product development, of course.)

there is always techno trickle down from racing. and we know how much $$$ goes into just F1 alone.
money there IS spent as if the mfgrs are in a WAR.


EL34EL34 - 10/31/2006 11:25:51 AM
-7 Boost
Thanks for giving me another reason not to ever buy a SciToyLex.


bigslick83bigslick83 - 10/31/2006 11:31:21 AM
+6 Boost
way to miss the bandwagon gm. in 10~15 years hybrids will be obsolete yet gm will still be producing them in mass quantities. meanwhile toyota/honda will be in next wave of green vehicles weather its bio-deseil or hydro-electric or fuel cell or whatever. this money should be more wisely spent on keeping republicans in office. thats the only thing that will save them now.


SSP350SSP350 - 10/31/2006 11:40:21 AM
+2 Boost
HA..ha^^^


XYZZXYZZ - 11/1/2006 1:48:43 AM
+2 Boost
that WAS actually a big part of detroit strategy.

buy lobbyists and politicos and kill all attempts to raise CAFE.

toyota and honda, meanwhile, more wisely spent their $$$ on R&D, constantly
improving engine efficiencies to where each upgrade yeilds more power AND mpg.


1970toyotamarc1970toyotamarc - 10/31/2006 11:56:38 AM
+7 Boost
Has anyone actually seen a hybrid Silverado on the road? I have been hearing about them for 2 years now. And as much as I'm a Toyota fan (duh) I'm thrilled that GM is making this investment in hybrids. They are not a flash in the pan. Their R&D will continue to be useful for several generations of cars. Hybrids have been on the road for almost a decade now, and I'm sure Toy has recouped most of their R&D already, seeing as how they are selling 20,000 hybrids a month (in the US alone).


bigslick83bigslick83 - 10/31/2006 4:00:37 PM
-6 Boost
is their a market outside the US for hybrids?
in europe, not unless their is a desiel in it.
in aisa, rickshaws are so much more affordible.
in africa, do they have cars in africa?
in the middle east, who cares about the gas milage if its just gonna get blown up anyway.
in south america, see africa.

its only a matter of time before the hybrid engine becomes useless like the steam engine. if they could make a hybrid jet engine, now that would be cool, and save fuel at a much better pace.

and i think the gas guzzler tax should go towards lowering the tax on gasoline nation wide. their nessecity of increased demand of fuel is the cause of higher prices. so this could be used to balance that out, instead of just being a deturent to buying a more fuel economical vehicle


1970toyotamarc1970toyotamarc - 10/31/2006 4:34:25 PM
+2 Boost
bigslick can always be counted on for the most intelligent posts. (and if you cant tell that that was sarcasm...)


themantheman - 11/1/2006 12:32:42 PM
+2 Boost
Very bad post, thier should be actions taken towards people like this..


RupertRupert - 11/1/2006 6:29:03 PM
+1 Boost
"in the middle east, who cares about the gas milage if its just gonna get blown up anyway."

WTF IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!


LexusLexus - 10/31/2006 5:21:58 PM
+3 Boost

Who is GM think they kidding, crushing Toyota...come on..it did not take Toyota one day to get where they are at. Secondly Toyota is suppose coming with a new Hybrid Prius and there other Hybrid lineup where you can get up to 100+ plus miles per gallon for 2008 or 2009 models.

Secondly Toyota is not only GM threat what about the Kia brand they are moving up the ladder fast too. Sure their car are not as realiable as other car manufacture but but they growing fast. Don't keep your eyes on one ball and forget the other balls around you GM. What about India and China? are they not supposely if not already began to sells their car in the U.S. GM need to wake up and know that competition is what it use to be.

Lexus


S4cabriofoxS4cabriofox - 10/31/2006 10:10:35 PM
-3 Boost
"Who is GM think they kidding, crushing Toyota..."

I know, I know, Toyota is (in most of your minds) this all-powerful, world-conquering, car-producing machine, but it's funny to hear you say that in this context- GM is still #1.


kart1kart1 - 10/31/2006 10:34:14 PM
+4 Boost
GM is just selling more cars for now (and not for long with so many retarted products), they aren't making the industry high profits or sales gains.


bigslick83bigslick83 - 10/31/2006 5:38:58 PM
-4 Boost
um hello that was a joke morons, really i was making a funny. and if your sense of humor didnt die when you were a little boy watching you mom turn tricks to pay the light bill then you would have laughed.

anyway, the point is the sale of hybrids is so negligable in other countries outside the US, and that means that all this r&d is only helping american sales while sales for these hybrid companies are going to suffer from it overseas.

go look up the numbers for hybrid sales in other countries, its prob like 20 a month not 20,000 a month like the US. most countries prob dont even see the hybrids because their is no market for them. GENIUS.

i wish i was cool like you wilco and i could reply to my own posts, and completly ignore the fact that i only quit posting because people hated me and called me names that made me feel bad. (now that is sarcasm) JERK!


S4cabriofoxS4cabriofox - 10/31/2006 10:11:37 PM
+1 Boost
GM should save their pennies and produce HIGH-QUALITY CARS.

Gosh, why doesn't anyone see this?

If they make high-quality small cars like the Honda Fit, they won't even need hybrids! They get great mileage without them!


S4cabriofoxS4cabriofox - 10/31/2006 10:13:25 PM
0 Boost
Hmm... that history started only about thirty years ago.

Before then, GM was the brand that everyone in America went to. Only fabulously wealthy people drove Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royces-- Cadillacs were the rich-people norm. My parents drove an Opel GT and a Chevy Bel Air.


S4cabriofoxS4cabriofox - 10/31/2006 10:14:26 PM
0 Boost
At different times, BTW. Bel Air and Opel GT weren't sold in the same time period!

They owned tons of American (and one Opel) cars, but they did also buy Japanese occasionaly. My first car was a Datsun 510 that I had to buy from my father.


RupertRupert - 11/1/2006 6:30:57 PM
0 Boost
we've only ever had european cars in my family, there isn't anything else worth getting.


XYZZXYZZ - 11/1/2006 2:03:30 AM
+1 Boost
"My first car was a Datsun 510..."

so, how'd you like it, S4? i considered one when i bought my first new car in 1971.
i know it was a popular model to modify for sedan racing!


S4cabriofoxS4cabriofox - 11/2/2006 12:00:38 AM
+1 Boost
It wasn't unpleasant... but my brother got to drive my dad's Opel when he turned sixteen... and he's younger than me!


XYZZXYZZ - 11/2/2006 4:29:58 AM
+1 Boost
the Opel GT? what year?

what i ended up buying 'stead of the 510, was a Corona hardtop.
(new engine in '71; ohc to match datsun, + 1.9 'stead of 1.6)

a friend mistook it for the Opel GT. sorta similar in profile. in her eyes.


XYZZXYZZ - 11/2/2006 4:34:13 AM
+1 Boost
i saw a cut-away display of the 510.

one great feature was IRS. unique for a car in its price class. on paper, the 510 was pretty close to the bmw 1600.


MercBasherMercBasher - 11/1/2006 11:08:30 AM
+1 Boost
Wouldn't it be cheaper to share the costs with Renault and Nissan, and others - oops I forgot that Wagoner and his rubber-stamp-board of directors don't believe in synergies.


bigslick83bigslick83 - 11/1/2006 11:45:19 AM
0 Boost
wait who said you were normal again will???

i know deisels only sell in europe, but thats not hte point. 9 billion in R&D and they are only going to slightly increase their american sales. but people are still going to buy japanese hybrids because they are going to have better reliablity,cost, and newer systems. if gm cant make a normal gasoline car cheap and dependable, how the hell do you think anything is going to change for a hybri(a much more complicated system w/o a hundred years of experiance


EL34EL34 - 11/1/2006 12:32:25 PM
-2 Boost
9 Billion is a big chunk of cash.

Good for GM.


S4cabriofoxS4cabriofox - 11/2/2006 12:02:35 AM
+2 Boost
I think this is a waste of money.

GM should focus on their core products making better gas mileage, and not hybrids to mask the bad gas mileage. And GM hybrids aren't anywhere near as good as Honda/Toyota systems- the Silverado Hybrid apparently only gets 2mpg better than a normal V8 version.

Their core products, like the Impala, Malibu and Aveo, should also obviously be of higher quality and more appealing style. I know this doesn't happen overnight, but they could learn from other companies.
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