Plunging pickup sales prompt Big 3 to change

You would have thought that the American automakers would have learned sooner. The booming Toyota Prius, the Honda Accord and Civic. It was pretty obvious that consumers have been demanding high quality, fuel efficient cars for some time. Not only that, do US Automakers follow the oil business? One would think they would.
I remember the 70s when we had odd and even days at the pump, GM workers were on strike, and it didn't look like there was an end in sight. Solahart and other Solar companies started investing, we thought back then we would see some change. But no, mass transit is still dismal in the US and there has been little effort in the US to conserve. Its a pity that it takes a serious supply and demand issue tto be motivated to conserve and build better and more efficient cars.
I try to buy American whenever I can but I know that my next car will be some sort of plug-in electric hybrid. And if that turns out to be a Japanese or European built car then that's the way it is going to be.
I don't feel a bit sorry for the American automakers, they did this to themselves. Unless there is some way that oil is created faster than we use it, it is pretty much a guarantee that it will run out. This seems obvious and I would think that it seemed obvious back when we first started refining oil that it would not last forever. Now we are behind. And its not just cars. Most of the chemicals, textiles, contstruction supplies, crops, etc... are all impacted by oil. I am by no means a green, tree hugging, Al Gore following fascist. But given the great minds in the US, it seems that we could have solved many of these problems a long time ago. Too bad we are so short sighted.

Why is everyone so surprised that it has taken this long for the American car makers to get it. They have always gotten it!! When you are sleeping in bed with the oil companies for so many years, and then that lover kicks you in the head, suddenly its "oh wa,wa, I didn't see it coming bull@!$%#". Yet this is big new to the media. The car makers were determined to suck every last bit of money out of the big car business before they knew they had to change. What, companies that big don't have people on the inside or outside that saw this coming years ago? Who the hell do they think they are kidding. They have had most of the technology for over 30 years, and have put it on the "stick it to the American people shelve", before we go crying to the government that we didn't have the money to seek new technology.CEO making billion of dollars in salaries over the last 30 years to keep new ideas from being pushed forward. The stockholders who have made billions from American car companies were what, to stupid to know what was happening in the world outside their billion dollar homes and lives? Are they going to go public and admit that they were to stupid? That's why they are in the shape they are now? Don't feel one bit sorry for American car companies.

Right on ...

Cant agree more that the car companies are too blame for their lack of leadership.

It was just a few years ago when the car companies, oil companies, unions and Republicans ran full page ads to "Protect the SUV" from mandated new fuel economy standards. Gez, where would we be if those changes were in place? Sad state of affairs that no one is looking after the better interests of the country.

I agree with Steven100 as well. Gas prices are never going down, at least not for a long while. They may stabilize at $4.00 or so, but they are not coming down. If you would like, see the film "who killed the electric car?" GM had a real fix on how to beat this and make money too, but they let it slip right through there fingers. Nancy P, the speaker of the house allowed the car companies way too much time with too little results with fuel efficiency. GM is coming out with the Volt (later instead of sooner) but it will cost almost $40,000. Not the sort of car I would be willing to buy at this point. Honda has some promise with it's 2010 line up. Unless Detroit "get's it" and moves on to gas saving vehicles that people will buy, they may as well try to sell 8 track tapes. I don't want any car company to go out of business, but they are putting themselves out of business. I know they know how to build a car, very soon, that will be totally electric with a 200 mile range. They WON'T DO IT. Not that they can't WON'T. They could make quite a profit off it. Another thing is hydrogen power cars. They know but won't build those either. Once wind power begins to become more popular in the West, you can make hydrogen with those wind turbines, from plain water. "Free fuel"? Almost, since their main purpose is to act as a backup for electric companies, and people are already paying them for the power. Will this happen? Nope. For me, I am not buying a new car until something new and dramatic comes out that is under $20,000. Let them eat cake until then. ARE YOU LISTENING DETROIT? Because the price of gas could be $6.00 (really) a gallon by the beginning of next year.

Amazing how if anything doesn't go the way you want it, blame Republicans. I think if you do some checking you'll find just as many Democrats supporting legislation that favored SUVs. That is what their constituents wanted, that's what they got, that is what happens in a democracy.

Having said that, you are absolutely correct to blame the auto company executives. It is their job to chart a long term strategic plan for their companies that covers all the bases. After the oil shock episode of 30 years ago, how is it that Toyota, Honda, and host of other car companies figured out that they needed to have a plan that addressed all areas of the vehicle market, and the so called Big 3 could not. Don't blame the unions for that. Don't blame the politicians for that. Don't blame the public for that. The boards of GM and Ford should all take a hike. How could they blow it so bad? How can Toyota be so far ahead in hybrid technology? These folks don't belong in leadership positions of any company.

The automakers need to deal with this by acquisition. They can't develop in-house fast enough. So they need to do things now like buy Tesla Motors and give the management there all they need to build their cars at low-low prices and sell, sell sell. They need to offer an in-car-meter kit so that people can go to their friend's homes and plug in, then pay their friend for the top-up of their battery.

They could deal with it short term by partnering with propane conversion kit companies for their pickups. Natural gas prices are still in the $2.70 per gallon range, and you can put a propane tank in the truck bed that will let a guy drive almost coast to coast on one tank with plenty of space left in the truck bed.

One thing needed is a hybrid Ford 150/GMC can't see the forest for the trees.
The same goes for small pickups. I guess Toyota will build a hybrid Tundra first then Ford, etc. will understand.

I agree with John-Henry. If they built a hybrid F150 or F250 before prices started going up they wouldn't be in this mess. Now instead of trying to improve the model there just gonna close the factory and put more people out of work. Gotta hand it to the CEO's that came up with that plan. Instead of fixing the problem and excepting a short term lost for a long term gain they hold onto there bonus by firing 500 people.

You are all exactly right! Is this what all of these American car companies mean when they say their CEO's deserve those whopping big $40 -$50 million dollar salaries to "retain top talent?" Bull! In addition they all complain and fight about increases in CAFE standards. That is another ludicrous whine. Listen up laggards! It's not about doing the minimum required by law; It's about giving the consumers what they really want: MORE MPG's! I bought my hybrid 3 years ago waiting for this to happen - saw it all along, so why can't these "top" losers? The Model "T" got 26 mpg 80 years ago, today the Explorer gets 18. We can now put a man on the moon, and machines on MArs, live video in real time around the world and still have to put up with 18mpg? No excuses, no sympathy! The stupid deserve all they get!

When the only factor in a business plan is short-term profit, that company is not gonna survive. The problem with companies like the American auto makers is quite simple - GREED. Maximizing profit is the only thing that truly matters to them. They don't give a @#$% about anything else, and ironically Detroit auto makers will be drowning because of it. By focusing so much on maximizing profit per vehicle produced, they're actually gonna be making less money overall! Pure American genius!!

Holy smokes, this article is maybe...hmmm about thirty eight years too late. It has taken the big three that long to realize the Gas Price's are rising(continualy)??? The same head lines for the 70's, 80's, 90's, "Fuel prices high, Japanese small cars dominate as American big car/ truck sales slump.
GM hasn't produced a descent engine in...Ever?? The Corvette runs on an engine that still has push rods, that engine has been re-clothed and re-badged since the 50's. All there engines are over sized and not well manufactured. That's what ford did in the model T, make the engine larger so the RPM'sm will be slower, wear and tear on engine is less, and tolerances, engineering and assembly can be overlooked, waylaid. Of course the gas consumption is higher. And that tradition survives today in the big three and not just at GM. They have continued to have that same mentality, even when faced with a dilemma of skyrocket fuel prices. In fact a year ago, when fuel was around $2.50 a gallon, a spokesman at GM said the that SUV's still had a large market to expand into and that was the way they were foing to handle it. Is that major DENIAL...(and I am not talking about the river in Egypt)....stupidity....or that they have absolutley no manufacturing abilities for anything other than SUV's and trucks.
It also doesn't help when Leslie Stall did a 60 Minutes interview with them. She should be ashamed of herself, I thought she was trying to get a date with one if their R&D Guys, she coyingly said things like " O00hhh this rides so smooth. I can't even tell that the engine shut off 4 cylinders" (a technology from the 70's). It was 15 minutes of gushing and absolutely no journalism at all, no hard questions,
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I could go on and on, of course nobody else wold want me to. Is there any real automobile critics out there?????? I think all of the big three has had so many chances and dropped the ball so many times, it almost looks like they are doing it on purpose. As the saying goes, if you can't take the heat , get out of the kitchen

They wonder why sales are down when the only thing they offer is a $40,000.00 pick-up truck that gets 10-12 miles to the gallon. Can't see the forest for the trees is correct. You can't buy just a basic pick up anymore. The way they think, I guess the quick response they talk about will be the return of the Pinto and Vega.

Ford & GM HAVE vehicles that would replace the 1/2, 3/4 & 1 ton trucks. They are beautiful machines (remember El Camino & Ranchero). They get better fuel efficiency than a truck. They come in 2WD or AWD. They even have a unit called the Tonner (Equal to a 1 ton truck). Check out Ford Australia and click on the UTE (Falcon) or GM Australia (Holden) and click on their UTE. I agree with the previous postings and that GM & Ford wanted every dollar for their company instead of looking at the big picture. GREED...instead of...LEADERSHIP!

I find it a pleasant irony that Republicans argued forcing the auto industry to adopt CAFE standards would hurt their business and now nobody in America wants to buy their un-CAFE asses.