Hybrids are going to remain a vanishingly small percentage of the total vehicle sales for the foreseeable future. They're being much ballyhooed in the press right now, but the total cost of ownership is significantly higher than a similar gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicle. At the end of the day, total cost of ownership is a big factor in what drives repeat sales.
DCX has wisely taken a minimalist approach to the hybrid vehicle market so as to concentrate their development dollars on products that can sell in large volumes at a significant profit. The LX platform is an excellent example of this. I had the pleasure of being able to drive the hemi-powered versions of the Charger and Magnum briefly around a short, low-speed course at the All Chrysler Nationals in Carlisle. The overwhelming impression was WOW! what a great pair of vehicles! They truly are the life's blood of DCX; they will ensure the company is here and remains profitable for many years to come. The fact of the matter is that DCX doesn't need hybrids to remain profitable and viable in the marketplace, and it's good to see that they've avoided going to the unnecessary expense of developing a product line in that space. GM and Ford, by contrast, both of which are floundering in virtually every segment of the market save possibly one or two vehicles per each, are pissing away development dollars and time chasing the hybrid fad, all the while watching their market share decline sharply. It's a shame to see, especially since my livelihood depends on all of the domestic automakers doing well. But bad management and product miscues at Ford/GM are nothing new, and will probably continue until the brands are nothing but vague memories. -- --Geoff MML Moderator/Admin/Occasional SAA '92 Acclaim; '98 Intrepid; '03 Grand Caravan Read about the MML at: http://www.moparmailinglist.com Subscribe to the MML at: http://mopar.tamu.edu/mailman/listinfo/mml Web: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dodge_intrepid> Subscribe: <mailto://[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Unsubscribe: <mailto://[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Moderator: <mailto://[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dodge_intrepid/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
