DETROIT -(Dow Jones)- Most Americans expect gasoline prices to rise in the
near future and 70% say they're factoring that into their new vehicle purchases,
according to a survey released Tuesday.
The recent decline in gasoline prices from highs posted during the summer
months isn't dampening interest in hybrid vehicles, according to a survey
performed by Opinion Research Corp. and commissioned by the Civil Society
Institute.
Civil Society Institute President Pam Solo said the results show that U.S.
auto makers need to focus more on making fuel-efficient vehicles and less on
sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks. U.S. auto makers are more dependent on
SUVs pickup trucks for their profits than their foreign competitors are.
General Motors Corp. (GM), Ford Motor Co. (F) and DaimlerChrysler AG's (DCX)
Chrysler Group have lost market share to foreign rivals such as Toyota Motor Co.
(TM) and Honda Motor Co. (HMC). The U.S. auto makers are restructuring their
North American operations to match production capacity with lower demand.
The Newton, Mass.-based Civil Society Institute is the parent organization of
40mpg.org - a group that advocates setting the federal fuel efficiency standard
for all passenger cars to 40 miles per gallon - and the Hybrid Owners of
America.
A survey of 1,016 adults polled by telephone showed that nine out of 10 expect
gas prices to go up "in the near future." The poll has a margin of error of 3
percentage points.
As a result, 70% said they will factor "expected future gasoline price
increases into consideration in thinking about buying a new vehicle," according
to the survey.
Solo said during a conference call with reporters Tuesday that the survey
findings "should be a real wake-up call to any auto executive in Detroit who is
hoping against hope that Americans will fall in love again with gas-guzzling
vehicles."
The survey also stated that 45% of Americans are more likely to buy a "hybrid
or other fuel-efficient vehicle" than they were six month ago, despite the dip
in fuel prices.
Big Three executives have acknowledged demand for SUVs will shrink in favor of
crossover utility vehicles, which have some of the space and storage of SUVs but
are built on car platforms and get better gas mileage.
But they are fighting hard as ever, along with Toyota, for pickup truck market
share. Pickup trucks are the biggest-selling segment in the U.S. and are less
affected by gas price swings than SUVs since many consumers need the utility for
work or recreation.
Auto makers also have steadfastly resisted calls to increase federal mandates
for corporate average fuel economy, or CAFE, standards. The Civil Society
Institute said most Americans favor raising the CAFE standard to 40 miles per
gallon.
Auto makers argue that government standards create artificial targets and that
consumers are the best arbitrators of what kinds of vehicles should be offered.
Solo said the U.S. auto makers have "misread" consumer opinion.
-By Terry Kosdrosky, Dow Jones Newswires; 313-226-1251; terry.kosdrosky@
dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
11-21-06 1715ET
Copyright (c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
