Clean Car Campaign

alerts and updates >

Campaign Pressure Prompts Cleaner Car Commitments at Detroit Auto Show

Increasing pressure from the Clean Car Campaign and other environmental, religious, and social groups has helped motivate automakers to announce new cleaner car models at this year’s North American International Auto Show. Most notable was an announcement from General Motors pledging to provide consumers with new hybrid-electric vehicle options on up to 8 popular models of cars and trucks. This is a major change for GM, which previously was skeptical about hybrids.

The over 100,000 Clean Car Campaign supporters like you deserve much of the credit for helping GM make this important turnaround. GM’s top product executive, Bob Lutz, acknowledged the impact of public pressure on this decision when he noted -- "You can't just fly in the face of public opinion, especially not when you're General Motors."

Range of Cleaner New Car Models

General Motors GM’s lone previous hybrid commitment was to offer hybrid versions of its Silverado and Sierra pick-ups early next year. Dubbed "mild" hybrids, due to their modest use of electric technology, the trucks will get an estimated 12-15% better fuel economy than their conventional truck counterparts. With this month’s announcement, however, GM plans to offer a "full" hybrid version of its Saturn Vue in 2005 that could achieve up to 40 mpg (government test figure, equivalent to 34 mpg on sticker). Other planned hybrid options include the Chevy Malibu, the new Equinox, and the large Yukon/Tahoe SUVs, scheduled for 2006 and 2007.

Ford Motor Company Ford also announced plans to offer a hybrid-electric version of its popular Escape SUV later this year, the first hybrid from one of the "Big 3" U.S. auto companies. The Escape is also expected to achieve close to 40 mpg in city driving (government test figure). Ford will also offer a near zero emission version of the Focus sedan. The Ford Focus PZEV (partial emissions vehicle) will be available to consumers in California, New York, Vermont and Massachusetts in just a few months.

Toyota Toyota also announced plans at this year’s Detroit Auto Show to offer a hybrid version of its new Lexus RX 330. The hybrid RX -- which shares a platform with the popular Toyota Highlander-- should be on the market in about two years, company officials say. Toyota is also expected to announce a new version of its popular Prius and other hybrid offerings later this year.

The new hybrids from GM, Ford and Toyota are very promising and could make a big difference in the drive to develop a market for fuel-efficient vehicles. But the companies continue to sell a slew of dirty, inefficient cars, trucks and SUVs, including such monsters as the Hummer and Ford Excursion. So the pressure on automakers to make significant gains in the overall fuel efficiency of the vehicles they sell, currently at a 21 year low, must continue.

Not only do auto companies need to offer new and improved clean vehicles, like hybrids, but they must also market them effectively so consumers are more likely to buy them in volume. In its otherwise laudable announcement, GM left itself plenty of room to excuse, and politically capitalize on, lackluster results from its hybrid program. The Clean Car Campaign, with the support of consumer activists like you, will continue translating commitments such as these into real world success stories for the environment.

Your Concerns about Automaker Litigation Heard Loud and Clear

In December, over 16,000 of you responded to an alert from the Clean Car Campaign and Environmental Defense, e-mailing auto executives to protest their pattern of litigating against state laws to reduce pollution caused by the auto industry, rather than investing in solutions. Although there is no immediate indication that the industry will drop these lawsuits — and we did not really expect them to — your messages do seem to be helping to lead auto companies to push ahead more aggressively to release cleaner, hybrid car offerings. (see story above)

Some of your messages to auto executives drew direct responses, but when the magnitude of the public outcry became clear, General Motors (and one of two DaimlerChrysler recipients) shut off their e-mail addresses, forcing some messages to bounce. However, the Clean Car Campaign and Environmental Defense have collected all of your messages and are delivering them to automakers.

We will keep you posted of notable developments in the auto industry’s continued litigation against state environmental laws.

Thousands of individuals participating in an effort by religious leaders calling on automakers to build cleaner, more efficient cars also sent messages. For more information, see: http://www.cleancarcampaign.org/pilgrimage.shtml

GM’s Saturn Vue Hybrid

General Motors' President and CEO Rick Wagoner announces GM will offer optional hybrid powertrains on several of its most popular models, including trucks, SUV's and mid-size sedans starting in late 2003. This Saturn VUE will feature a dual electric motor system that will boost composite city/highway efficiency up to 50 percent, to nearly 40 miles per gallon. The announcement took place at the 2003 North American International Auto Show January 6, 2003 in Detroit.

Ford Escape Hybrid

The all-new Ford Escape Hybrid will be on the road later this year as one of the industry’s first no-compromise SUVs, delivering between 35 and 40 miles per gallon. Its innovative hybrid electric powertrain also will be used for future Ford Motor vehicles.

Lexus Hybrid RX Concept

"The RX with Hybrid Synergy Drive has a V6 engine with the power and torque of a V8 and delivers the fuel mileage of a compact car while producing a fraction of the emissions of standard SUVs," said Toyota Motor Corporation President Fujio Cho.