Is the American Memory Really This Short?!

Falling Gas Prices Jump-Start GM SUV Sales

Automaker Puts Texas Plant On Overtime Amid Other Closures


Despite the down economy, falling gas prices have driven consumers back to the sport utility vehicles they once gave the cold shoulder.

Workers at General Motor's Arlington, Texas, SUV assembly plant began working overtime this month and are scheduled to remain on overtime for the rest of the year.

The plant, which employs 2,500 workers, is now the only GM factory building full-size sport utility vehicles like the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade.

Although sales of the vehicles are still down overall, they have rebounded in recent weeks as gas prices have fallen and cash-strapped automakers have slashed prices. The vehicles have proven to be a solid source of revenue for GM.

"We're still on overtime," plant spokeswoman Wendi Sabo told The Dallas Morning News. "Nothing has changed."

GM is also placing a high-stakes bet on its SUV line overseas, opening a new $300 million plant Friday near St. Petersburg, Russia.

The plant will produce GM SUVS, the Chevrolet Captiva and Opel Antara, which have become status symbols in Russia, reported Edmunds.com.

Chevrolet is the sales champion in Russia, with 190,553 cars sold last year alone, allowing GM to claim a 10.9 percent market share there. Likewise, Opel is in Russia's top 10 in sales, recording a whopping 238 percent sales growth in 2007, according to GM figures.

original article

[rdc2007]

My vehicle philosophy is you get what you need to get around. People seem to think that they're showing their affluence by driving huge fucking vehicles that don't fit into standard parking spaces. They have special parking spaces for compact cars and I believe they should have special SUV spaces... all the way at the end of the parking lot. I drive a Kia to work every day and I can't see around these monstrosities when I want to turn or change lanes. We also have a pickup truck because my wife has to haul a bunch of shit (tables, tarps, ice chests, etc.) around for her business. If we didn't need a truck we wouldn't have one.

I smile at SUV drivers every time I'm at the pump myself. They probably think I'm being friendly (or creepy) but I'm laughing inside that their status symbol bleeds them dry at the gas pumps.

[beastley]

yo, america is dumb.

just cuz we voted in a colored person, it doesnt mean we're any smarter. we're still stupid, and we still don't care about anyone else but ourselves.

its sorta like a drug addict...they get so low and tell themselves theyll clean up because theyve hit rock bottom, but then they get back to shooting up, and hit rock bottom again.

until the attitude in america (and across the world), but mainly us, since we matter to us, changes, shit will keep happening. the economic crisis is supposed to be a wakeup call, but obviously it isnt.

i still see billboards and ads all over the place with dealerships and real estate companies claiming you can buy a car/house with good credit, bad credit, or even no credit!

Yes, we are stupid. (i include myself, by the way, so no hate mail)

[Trips]

Well duh you don't understand. The president sets the gas prices and hes leaving so hes being nice. Plus the next president used to be the president in Iraq or something but hes got a tan now so his old country will be giving us oil. The changed as happened. We're going back to the way things used to be forever. Where is my confederate flag dammit!

Anyways I drive a gas guzzler because I don't have much of an alternative. I have those damn back problems that make me sit in a certain angle when I'm in pain and no car can get it just right. That and cause I'm from Texas I drive a big ass truck with a pair of chromed truck nutz! God damn I can't stop with the sarcasm tonite lol

[Mr Handlebars]

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Not that I wish back problems on anyone, but I'm glad to see that I'm not the only person who has to drive a SUV because of their back. When I try to explain that to someone with a normal back, they look at me like I'm nuts. The seat configuration in an SUV is the only thing I can drive. I can get up to sit in my Mini-van, but I can't sit down to a car. After about 15 minutes my back is out in a car.

[strommsarnac]

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God I wish that was true and not that foreign companies set the price.

I drive a 14 year old Chevy ImpalaSS. Since I currently only go 1.9 miles one way to work, my car doesn't even get warm and only gets about 16mpg. When I was driving 6 miles I got 22mpg!! Pretty funny that it was actually cheaper on gas to drive farther.

Anyways, these idiots in the government think ALL Americans want cars that get better mileage and that we'll all jump and buy them when they are on the market.

What they don't get is that most of America can't afford to spend $40,000 on a replacement vehicle that only gets another 10mpg more than what they already have. Especially if the car they have is paid for.

The Total Cost of Ownership must be lower for me to go out and even spend another $10k for a newer car. That's going to be hard to beat. My car is in great shape, not problems and gets average mileage. Why should I replace it?

I only have to do simple math. Say I go cheap. I trade my car in on a gas saver, lose the safety of 2 tons of body on frame steel, only gain 10mpg and have no clue as to what problems I'm going to have to pay to fix over the next 4 years.

Gas prices are still going to go up. I expect they'll hit $4.50 again by March. Sadly, there's no reason for those rapists to not raise the price. They've already proven that we will pay that much. Not like we have any choice at this time.

[Badcat]

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I think the gas prices will drop over the next few years. With no tax breaks for oil companies and the threat of a windfall tax at a line that the government determines will drive the oil companies to cut profits like they did under the Clinton admin. They won't report a gain for the next few years. They also won't continue exploration or facility upgrades or jobs either.


fuckin' socialist

[beastley]

that "socialist" will push for more alternative energy sources, which sadly, the entire country still doesn't seem to understand the importance of.

[beastley]

living on oil is the worst investment ever. even if we open up ALLL the oil reserves on US soil, it wont be enough to last more than 10-20 year(and I'm being generous with that figure). Then what?

[gallow737]

Obama was elected President, didn't you guys get the memo? Gas is going to cost $0.50 a gallon again when he gets sworn in.

In all seriousness though, I think it's obvious prices are going to go up again, and when they do, they'll eventually go down again, too.

The good news is that I topped my empty gas tank off with premium for only $33 yesterday.