33Nick

Toyota, GM, Ford: Showing Off Green Cars Amid Economic Gloom

Beyond dissing Toyota and all, when you say: "Rav 4 in the early part of the decade, but it didn't sell well" Beg to differ. Have you seen the resale values of those things? In fact on our blog, electricnick.com, we quote Toyota management finally admitting they couldn't make money on it, not that they couldn't sell it. They built it too well.

The problem with big companies and hybrids, and electric cars, is that the current business model relies too much on maintenance and after sales service. That won't work well, especially with electric cars that have close to no maintenance. Just google RAV4 EV owners and see what they have to say, nothing until the shocks needed changing at 60,000 to 70,000 miles. Not many gas cars can say the same.

These companies need to figure out the business model before they come out with the technology, which, by the by, is already here...