Hybrid vehicles placed at the very top of their list of alternative fuel technologies for the next five years, followed by battery electric, fuel cell electric and bio-diesel respectively.
Biodiesel technology is low on the list of priorities for auto industry research, according to the survey that was released Thursday.
When asked to rate which were the most important alternative fuel technologies to the auto industry over the next five years, hybrid systems were ranked first followed by battery electric power, fuel cell electric power, and biodiesel, respectively.
In the past, styling was ranked as major feature. No more though. The feature auto executives believed makes the biggest impact on customers' purchasing decisions is fuel efficiency, which was ranked the highest, while the "environmental friendliness" of a vehicle ranked second, followed by safety innovation in third. Styling did not even make it into the survey results.
"Automotive manufacturers are in the challenging position of being asked to compete on both technology and cost. With global consumers still feeling the pinch of the recession, those OEMs who can deliver on this equation will be in the driver's seat," Gary Silberg, national automotive industry leader for KPMG, said in a statement.The survey was conducted September through November 2009.
Now, let's see how they can make those large suv's and trucks truly more fuel efficient. A listing of fuel efficiency and emissions and interactive chart can be found at the EPA's Green Vehicles website.
The survey was conducted September through November 2009.
Keith Winn is the VP Marketing/COO of GreenProfit Solutions, Inc. which assists businesses in becoming environmentally responsible. You may view their website at www.greenprofitsolutions.com or e-mail Keith at kwinn@greenprofitsolutions.com .