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This isn't quite as bad as Ford refusing the offer to take over VW free of charge in 1945 or General Motors identical offer, and refusal, of Toyota Motor Company that same year but it goes to show American engineers come up with great ideas but stupid managers with their MBAs screw everything up. This is like the US television manufacturers refusing to produce color TVs because they said black & white was good enough (the Japanese didn't agree and took over the market) or the same electronics companies saying no one would buy a CD player so why not keep making cassette players?
It seems in 1969 General Motors was trying to come up with ways to meet new auto emissions standards and deal with rising fuel costs. A group of brilliant engineers came up with the XP-883 hybrid-drive commuter car which looked something like a cross between a Chevy Vega and a Ford Pinto only it featured a small 4 cylinder engine tied to an electric motor and battery pack. It would have drastically cut emissions and raised fuel economy.
GM's management had other ideas though. They killed the hybred car and started a HUGE political lobbying campaign in Washington declaring that the new emissions laws, set to take effect in 1972, were impossible to meet and unreasonable. Sound familiar? When law makers refused to back down the big three even detuned their engines cutting horse power by 50% hoping consumer complaints would force law makers to back down. The Japanese just went about making good cars which met the new standards and began eating up market share.
Making wild claims, calling things impossible, and briding politicians has been a favorite tactic of the big 3 for over half a century. They've done it consistently time and again; making such claims when law makers demanded they make cars which could run on unleaded gas (Big 3 said it couldn't be done, it was done and atmospheric lead fell by 80%), they made the same claims and lobbying efforts when California passed the world's first emissions law in 1957, again when the Feds passed an auto emissions law in 1962, when emissions laws were toughened in both 65 and 69, when the Feds created crash safety standards in the 70's, and today they claim it is impossible to make cars go 35 miles per gallon. **** those liars.
Anyway, here's the article on the original hybrid car.
It seems in 1969 General Motors was trying to come up with ways to meet new auto emissions standards and deal with rising fuel costs. A group of brilliant engineers came up with the XP-883 hybrid-drive commuter car which looked something like a cross between a Chevy Vega and a Ford Pinto only it featured a small 4 cylinder engine tied to an electric motor and battery pack. It would have drastically cut emissions and raised fuel economy.
GM's management had other ideas though. They killed the hybred car and started a HUGE political lobbying campaign in Washington declaring that the new emissions laws, set to take effect in 1972, were impossible to meet and unreasonable. Sound familiar? When law makers refused to back down the big three even detuned their engines cutting horse power by 50% hoping consumer complaints would force law makers to back down. The Japanese just went about making good cars which met the new standards and began eating up market share.
Making wild claims, calling things impossible, and briding politicians has been a favorite tactic of the big 3 for over half a century. They've done it consistently time and again; making such claims when law makers demanded they make cars which could run on unleaded gas (Big 3 said it couldn't be done, it was done and atmospheric lead fell by 80%), they made the same claims and lobbying efforts when California passed the world's first emissions law in 1957, again when the Feds passed an auto emissions law in 1962, when emissions laws were toughened in both 65 and 69, when the Feds created crash safety standards in the 70's, and today they claim it is impossible to make cars go 35 miles per gallon. **** those liars.
Anyway, here's the article on the original hybrid car.
Hybrid Car Ready in 1969
Who killed the hybrid car?
In this 1969 Popular Science article, 2 Editors get a chance to check out GM’s new Pinto-Vega-looking XP-883 hybrid-drive commuter car, and love it.
As far as I know, GM never dispatched (then withdrew and crushed) a test fleet like they did with the wildly popular EV1 in California.
PopSci Says in 1969:
“It’s the best low-emission small car proposed yet, and has both a gasoline and an electric motor.”
“With all-independent suspension, front-wheel drive, a low center of gravity, and wide track (49 inches), the XP883 should be great fun to drive. But whether, and when, you’ll drive one is something that the GM chiefs haven’t made up their minds about yet. ”
Who killed the hybrid car?
In this 1969 Popular Science article, 2 Editors get a chance to check out GM’s new Pinto-Vega-looking XP-883 hybrid-drive commuter car, and love it.
As far as I know, GM never dispatched (then withdrew and crushed) a test fleet like they did with the wildly popular EV1 in California.
PopSci Says in 1969:
“It’s the best low-emission small car proposed yet, and has both a gasoline and an electric motor.”
“With all-independent suspension, front-wheel drive, a low center of gravity, and wide track (49 inches), the XP883 should be great fun to drive. But whether, and when, you’ll drive one is something that the GM chiefs haven’t made up their minds about yet. ”
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