Yet again, I read another article by an author who is undoubted pro-foreign car in general, and perhaps pro-Asian or Japanese car in particular. When listing competing vehicles to the Honda Civic hybrid, he refused to list any of GM's vehicles, citing that they were not real hybrids, just marketed as such.

Does anyone have a clue as to what they mean? GM has every conceiveable configuration of a hybrid either in production or planned near-term, so I can't figure out what their definition of hybrid could be.

One word.......... Bias.

The political spectrum has competition when it comes to the influence of lobbists. In the automotive world though, the companies don't have to pay anyone. We do it for free. Most of the Honda/Toyota crowd seems to think that since they were "first", they have the right to define what "hybrid" means to everyone else.

I've read an immense amount of material from all sources (I implore people to read and be educated from all sources, not just those you agree with). It is clear to me that the classic parallel hybrid camp is threatened by GM's approach on many levels. Their "light" hybrids are inexpensive alternatives to the Honda/Toyota approach; designed for incremental improvements to already good cars. The big SUV's are the real winners, an area that the others haven't ventured into yet. The Volt is a new paradigm. GM has a plan, and they don't like it.

The one thing they can exploit is to use GM's reputation against them. I talk to so many people who have no idea what GM version 2008 is. They are stuck in 1985, and have no interest in being enlightened. In a way, thats OK. It gives GM a chance to sneak up a little and suprise everyone. I actually think that is starting to happen now. I think the H/T crowd has noticed, too.

Met got it right... lots of bias.

As for GMs reputation... well, American auto manufacturers were pretty crappy with quality from probably the late 70s through the 90's. Mom's 1993 Chrysler LeBaron, while still driving, has had so many little things break. The interior is looking pretty shabby, little plastic things breaking more and more...

I will say, though, the new Malibu looks very nice. I think GM did good on that one!