Chrysler Exec Blames Big Oil and Others for Lack of Alternative Fuel Progress

[Tuckerfan]

I don't completely buy it. (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/08/13/chrysler-exec-explains-who-is-trying-to-stop-alternative-fuels/)Loren Beard stirred things up at the end of a weeklong industry conference.
The Chrysler Senior Manager of Energy Planning and Policy named the five groups that he says are trying to stop the growth of alternative fuels.
Speaking at the annual Management Briefing Seminars conference, held outside Traverse City, Mich., Beard said the groups have their own interests to protect. What might be a surprise to some is the inclusion of "Big Agriculture", some environmental groups and some automakers.Now I know the carmakers had to get Congress to force the oil companies to change how they formulate fuels (namely getting them to remove the sulphur), so they've certainly faced opposition, but still, they have managed to make progress. It seems to me that they'd be able to find a way to force more progress on the issue if they wanted to.

[Least Original User Name Ever]

If the issue were at the front of the collective minds of Congress, we would be further down the path by now.

Historically, Detroit has had to be forced into making any kinds of changes, whether they be organizational, concerning attitude, or concerning safety.

In my opinion, they need to look past ethanol and put their eggs into that next basket. Ethanol is a crutch, not the cure. I also don't believe the proposed increases in CAFE standards are nearly enough (they're getting raised to current European levels by 2012..whee!).

Detroit has to differentiate themselves with customer service. That's going to be the ticket that'll bring people back.

[E-Sabbath]

Nah, Big Agriculture is responsible for the Ethanol mess that's going on, that's raising the price of food while still being... pretty damn useless environmentally.

It isn't entirely their fault, but they ain't helpin.