3-The relaxed way
This method is the less stressful one for manufacturers' investments as well as the nerving side of the potential return on investment. We'll let the others go ahead with a certain product, and if the demand is strong enough, we'll go in slowly to be sure not to put a risky vehicle on the market.
This method, which until recently we could've qualified as smart, is getting more and more risky. As a matter of fact, the turnover of different types of vehicles put to market is now so high, that we can quickly become considered as lame and out of the game.
GM and Ford are afflicted with this image. How can we view a manufacturer differently when, for example, GM produces a vehicle that looks like the copy of a competitor's model (I'm thinking here of the PT Cruiser) several years later? The image that consumers will have of them is one of slowpokes, and these days, when being IN is as good as a little 8-year old girl with her clothes and cell phone, as a 70-year old man who buys the latest SUV just to look cool.
That's what brings us to greener vehicles.
Green cars, offer and demand
Did you hear what GM's Bob Lutz admitted a few months ago about hybrid vehicles? What he said was more or less a confession in regard to the Japanese. According to his saying, and after laughing at them 4 years ago, we had to realize that they were right, and all GM had left to do was to catch up.
And that's where a big part of the problem lies for GM and Ford. Their lack of humility and all-American arrogance made them miss the boat and even risks to sink them. Toyota, Honda and Nissan look like leaders, and they look dumb. I'm not talking about quality here. GM makes quality products but that are less and less what people under 60 need.
The segment that will explode in the next 10 years is the green technology one. These technologies will be brought and sold in many ways. Certain will be real leaps, others will only be makeup applied to old technologies, but one thing is sure: no manufacturer can ignore it.
Chrysler, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari and even HUMMER will eventually have to market products that have a green image and substance, because with every other company that won't invest in that direction, they'll soon look dumb and will be deserted like old socks.
Ferrari, to name one, brushed with bankruptcy once and it's Fiat that came to save the day. Today, Ferraris are back in fashion, but they certainly shouldn't take that for granted. When their competitors will have taken too big of a lead with a quality offer of competitive, greener products, the demand for Ferraris will shrink.
And that does not forgive. Ask the English manufacturers.
This method is the less stressful one for manufacturers' investments as well as the nerving side of the potential return on investment. We'll let the others go ahead with a certain product, and if the demand is strong enough, we'll go in slowly to be sure not to put a risky vehicle on the market.
This method, which until recently we could've qualified as smart, is getting more and more risky. As a matter of fact, the turnover of different types of vehicles put to market is now so high, that we can quickly become considered as lame and out of the game.
GM and Ford are afflicted with this image. How can we view a manufacturer differently when, for example, GM produces a vehicle that looks like the copy of a competitor's model (I'm thinking here of the PT Cruiser) several years later? The image that consumers will have of them is one of slowpokes, and these days, when being IN is as good as a little 8-year old girl with her clothes and cell phone, as a 70-year old man who buys the latest SUV just to look cool.
That's what brings us to greener vehicles.
Green cars, offer and demand
Did you hear what GM's Bob Lutz admitted a few months ago about hybrid vehicles? What he said was more or less a confession in regard to the Japanese. According to his saying, and after laughing at them 4 years ago, we had to realize that they were right, and all GM had left to do was to catch up.
And that's where a big part of the problem lies for GM and Ford. Their lack of humility and all-American arrogance made them miss the boat and even risks to sink them. Toyota, Honda and Nissan look like leaders, and they look dumb. I'm not talking about quality here. GM makes quality products but that are less and less what people under 60 need.
The segment that will explode in the next 10 years is the green technology one. These technologies will be brought and sold in many ways. Certain will be real leaps, others will only be makeup applied to old technologies, but one thing is sure: no manufacturer can ignore it.
Chrysler, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari and even HUMMER will eventually have to market products that have a green image and substance, because with every other company that won't invest in that direction, they'll soon look dumb and will be deserted like old socks.
Ferrari, to name one, brushed with bankruptcy once and it's Fiat that came to save the day. Today, Ferraris are back in fashion, but they certainly shouldn't take that for granted. When their competitors will have taken too big of a lead with a quality offer of competitive, greener products, the demand for Ferraris will shrink.
And that does not forgive. Ask the English manufacturers.