Automakers Worry Green Cars May Not Sell

After years of resisting calls to green their product lines, U.S. auto companies are finally getting the message. The North American International Auto Show, which is open to the public Jan. 17-25, is a showcase for environmentally friendly technology, Yale Environment 360 correspondent Jim Motavalli reports from Detroit. Many of the new cars on the revolving stands are hybrids (including at least two plug-in hybrids) and battery electric cars. But interviews with automakers at the show reveal a profound unease with the industry’s new direction. With gasoline now below $2 a gallon, they are asking if U.S. customers who have been gravitating back to SUVs really care about the fuel efficiency the new, cleaner models offer. And, with the recession, they say, will consumers be able to pay the higher prices these innovative cars and trucks often demand? One thing lacking at the show was any confident predictions about where the economy and fuel prices will be next year, when the first of the new battery-based vehicles will appear.
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