Don’t believe me? Here’s an example: Toyota never planned for the Tundra to be its corporate savior like GM did with the GMT900. They probably knew they were going to actually LOSE money on it. They make so much money from their car sales that it didn’t matter if it flopped or not. They could stop selling it at anytime and it wouldn’t matter at all. Think GM could do the same with the Silverado and survive? Of course not.

Wow, gamper. That’s what I call evasive action.

Carshark, I am not following you. I thought I had stuck to my guns. I have never owned a GM or a Toyota, but I call them like I see them, it would be nice to see more even-handed reporting. Many commentors take the stories for fact, following the authors lead like lemmings. This just seem like more hateraid for those predisposed to be anti-Detroit. I guess I am just one of those people who likes to make up my own mind rather than have my thoughts fed to me.

As for their big trucks, Toyota managed to increase the size and power of the Tundra while increasing mpg (best in class according to Edmunds) and coming in with LEV emissions.

Greenwashing indeed.

You just had to come along and spoil the party by stating the obvious, huh? :-)

The CAFE standard is as relevant to the future of automobiles as the Maginot line was in stemming the tide of Germans who wanted to visit Paris in the spring of 1940.
We’ll be seeing customers voting with their wallets, performing their own end run past the hulking behemoths that carmakers wish they could keep building, because it’s so much easier to make a paper profit with huge, irrelevant cars.

Sorry, but there are too many “ifs” here, and a lot of Toyota critics seem to be curiously attracted to making idle speculation.

Getting back to reality, FACT IS that GM DEPENDS on trucks, and Toyota does not. Simple as that.

You mean speculation like GM is making the Volt purely to offset CAFE regulations?? I am not trying to defend GM or even criticize Toyota. I am just trying to point out the obvious lean in the story and suggest another motive behind the Volt. I dont own a full sized truck or SUV, or even a domestic brand vehicle. I just find the constant attempts to vilify the Detroit automakers laughable.

I will be the first to admit that the Detroit automakers (sadly) would go to great lengths to maintain sales of their cash cows. However, the assertion that GM will spend billions on the Volt to maintain truck sales under tougher CAFE regulations is silly due to the fact that consumer demand for thirsty trucks and SUVs will continue its freefall in spite of CAFE compliance. There are much cheaper ways of meeting CAFE requirements by using existing technology, so this story is simply a reflection of the author’s wishful thinking and personal beliefs.

“If”, “maybe”, “possibly”.

Sorry, but there are too many “ifs” here, and a lot of Toyota critics seem to be curiously attracted to making idle speculation.

Getting back to reality, FACT IS that GM DEPENDS on trucks, and Toyota does not. Simple as that.

Adding in Lexus would increase the truck : car ratio slightly.

GM
117K Cars
163K Trucks (includes about 7K HHR and a near-negligible quantity of minivans leftover).

Toyota makes $12 billion with a mix that’s heavily weighted towards cars and offers more smaller, fuel efficient cars than GM does, including the highly advanced and likely somewhat costly to build Prius.

GM loses $ billion with a mix that’s heavily weighted towards trucks and larger cars. GM sold 28K Impalas last month. GM’s profit margins are thought to be larger on their larger vehicles.

Toyota developed the new Tundra because Americans do buy large trucks. Why leave money lying on the table? But Toyota does not DEPEND on large trucks the way GM does.

How many vehicles with 35mpg+ GM sell v Toyota?

I am sure it would be similar to the ratio of Gas Guzzlers Toyota wishes they could sell to how many low profit small cars they sell. Toyota is not the saint you and others make them out to be. Toyota will sell as many full sized SUVs and Pickups as they possibly can, the only thing holding them back is demand. If the big three shut their doors tomorrow, Toyota would be falling all over themselves in an effort to increase capacity and supply our nation with thirsty SUVs and Trucks. Toyota, like GM is in it to make money, not save the planet. Soon Toyota will have heavy duty trucks and an even broader range of Tundra models that will also get a free pass from environmental types.

Dare to compare the ratio of gas guzzlers to hybrids sold by GM and Toyota.

How many vehicles with 35mpg+ GM sell v Toyota?

I would like to believe that GM is actually trying to innovate and bring vehicles to market that we need and want. I can dream I suppose. The more likely scenerio is that GM hopes to greenwash the American public with the Volt the way Toyota has with the Prius, and hopefully the Volt will one day become profitable. All the hobby environmentalists love Toyota for the Prius, so much so that they look right past the Tundras and Land Crushers on the dealership lot. In their greenwashed delusional state all they see is Toyota’s love for the planet earth. Now that’s PR at its best, something GM would no doubt like to get a piece of.

I am not sure why GM is being singled out, Toyota after all sells a full line of trucks and SUVs as well. The sale of those gas guzzlers made possible by vehicles like the Prius. If memory serves, Toyota was right there beside GM fighting the higher CAFE regulations.

http://bp0.blogger.com/_Vo6z5fxMMqs/SA9aYqCxzxI/AAAAAAAAAMU/KE7SSAYTTK8/s1600-h/oilmarket.JPG

Basically over some range of the supply curve (marked S), firms are willing to increase the quantity supplied without charging much more. That’s the flat horizontal section of the upward sloping curve. More oil can be easily pumped out of existing fields, or gasoline refineries are running below capacity. Eventually you get to a quantity where no more oil can be pumped out of the fields, or gasoline refineries are at capacity. Then increases in demand (rightward shifts in the demand curve marked D), lead to sharp increases in price without any noticeable increase in the amount of oil or gas supplied.

OK – now cue the Canadian Tar Sands!