Your Morning Reading List

Ok… the solar panels and shutting down crappy SAAB makes sense but, c’mon, South Carolina and its license plate? Isn’t everyone in SC already part of some evangelical freaky sect? Why advertise it? And what about other religions? WTH? We should sell that state to the Chinese first to pay for the next shipment of the iPods and Equinox engines.

GM needs to slim down.

I’d like to see a solar option on non-hybrids. My Corolla’s 1.8 liter engine could use a break from having to run the A/C. If I crank it high, you can feel the power drop.

Oh those poor taxpayers in South Carolina are going to have to fund a lawsuit that the state is sure to loose. Only Christian plates can have words on them ?

I’m waiting for the FSM plates myself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster

That’s the first I’ve heard of FSM. Way too funny. If I were a South Carolina resident I’d start writing leters demanding a FSM plate.

PS, adding solar power to a non-hybrid would be difficult in part because you need to utilize the hybrids batteries to gain the maximum advantage of the electricity generated and also because the AC compressor would have to be electically driven and this is a major change for a non-hybrid.

Can’t Hummer survive with it’s government contracts?

Thanks for the info Tom L ! I’m no engineer, but it seems like you might be better off with little wind generators, that would spin when the car is in motion ?

These, what seems like a simple idea now, panels are the sort of true innovation GM has always needed but was never able to deliver. Consumers are not stupid and voted these cheap b@stards out with their wallets. GM claims to be (and often rightfully so) the pioneer in safety, powertrains, and alternative fuels, yet what they want to sell you are 4-speed plasticky cars or oversized trucks with the hybrid option that still loses them money in the 50K package.

I’m sure Volt is a nice car, I’d be the first one to buy it but by that time (and if GM doesn’t burn through all the cash) Prius is going to have a plug-in option, long-lasting batteries, and these awesome panels on the roof and actually making money for Toyota at half the price of whatever limited-production Volt is going to be selling for.

I would hate to see “crappy SAAB” being closed down. Lets hope its sold off to a company who knows what they are doing. GM has no idea how to use a prestige European brand and the half hearted, badly executed brand management to date proves it. Re-badged Subarus and un-exportable GM 4×4’s do not a new product line make. Im sorry but these cars hold nothing but a slight novelty factor (along with most other American cars) for us Europeans. Saab once represented quality , safety ,prestige and being unique all of which has been dumped out the window by GM. Its so ironic that the above list are all the reasons GM bought Saab in the first place. GM is a hap-hazard mix of other companys products with in my opinion no real reason to exist. GM should stand for Generic Motors as it would be far more in keeping with what it produces and the sooner it lets Saab away the better.