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Originally Posted by Wagner
Problem lies in R&D and market analysis. You have to start R&D and production of a possible new ride 4-6 years in advance of release. Had any auto maker known in 2001/2 that oil would go nuts, the US would go into a recession and the dollar would fall to the bottom of the oil barrel...I guarantee...the rides offered today and tomorrow would be substantially different. This is the perfect time for innovation in a car company to gain them market share. For the life of me I don't know why smaller companies like the Kia's and Hyundais aren't making a huge run at this. When you hear that a company like Toyota is taking a hit because of the current market, that is your "moment".
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Interesting that GM had the EV1 back in 1996, and they canned it and even spent big bucks to buy back all the cars they had sold and then push them all into the trash compactor. Ever wonder why they did that?
Ever watch this movie?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsJAlrYjGz8
Obviously this was not a "business decision" and certainly had outside influence. Can you imagine where GM would be today if they had continued with this? From what I have read, the new "Volt" that is coming in 2010 is no better than the EV1 was 14 years earlier.
Then you have stuff like this:
NY Times: White House Joins Fight Against Electric Cars