The Driving Woman

Lately I've been thinking a lot about green driving. It seems everyone I know is making small modifications on their daily living, or at least guiltily proclaiming that they should. Yet, the hard facts of the global perspective are daunting. Is all this personal conservation petty and futile in the broader picture? I'm not sure what the answer is, but if you consider yourself a conservationist, then pay close attention to Asia, and form an opinion for yourself on how car companies are implementing their strategies overseas in pursuit of replenishing the faltering dollar in an exploding market.

China and India are supple markets, and hungry car makers are scrambling to reach the demand with Chrysler the latest to announce a heavy Chinese production initiative. Audi has announced that they expect to double sales by 2015 making China their second largest market out of Germany. In China 5.2 million cars were sold last year, according to a  Wall Street Journal article. The article also notes that sales of the Toyota Prius decreased to a sparse 414 cars. Not a good start wooing eco-minded consumers who are going after deals.

It could still go either way. By 2010 30 hybrids will be available in China, including a model produced by  Chery Automobile  Company, a Chinese automaker. BYD Auto announced plans to produce a new plug-in hybrid in 2008 that would come to the US in 2010. Yet, is it reasonable to expect Chinese families to opt for more expensive hybrids, when cars are just becoming more accessible to them?

 These issues were alluded to at the China Auto 2008, which is held in Beijing this week. GM CEO Rick Wagoner told the press "If there's a place around where you can get good alignment between infrastructure strategy and technology, China would seem like one of the places where that could happen." Yet, there's a certain irony that  it is in vogue to take up biking to work and other energy saving alternatives here, while the rest of the world is persuaded to prop the kickstand, and move full steam ahead.