A couple weeks ago I received an email from a communications firm asking if I would like to fly out to the  Detroit, MI area to view General Motors new line of Hybrid vehicles as well as others that will be debuting in 2008.  Of course I immediately assumed this was a joke.  I was wrong!  It turns out GM was actually reaching out into the blogsphere in order to alert the world that they’ve heard our pleas (for more fuel-efficient cars)!

Before I begin describing my trip I must commend General Motors for being one of the first major car manufacturers to recognize bloggers as a serious voice in media and two for paying all my expenses for the trip.  The food was delish and the hotel was gorgeous, now on to why I was really there….

I along with other eco-bloggers, started off our visit with a dinner that allowed us to ask General Motor’s top level managers anything we wanted!  It was wonderful to hear how GM is coming out with some great new hybrid vehicles and they are expanding their efforts in producing cars that run on E85 fuel (ethanol derived from corn), but what I really wanted to know was, “are they a company that practices what they preach?” Terry Rahdigan, Director of Chevrolet Communications was able to answer that question for me.  General Motors focuses first on eliminating waste then recycling waste that can not be avoided. I was surprised to hear this as this is something MANY people and companies here in the US have not caught on to yet.  Recycling and re-using is great but first we must try to reduce our consumption in the very beginning.  General Motors currently have eight facilities that have achieved zero landfill status.  These facilities send no waste from production operations to landfills.  They recycle or create energy from all waste materials from daily operations.

It’s not just GM North America that benefits from their efforts, GM Europe have achieved many of the same standards.  I know we have a huge United Kingdom readership, and over there GM has received an accreditation from the Energy Efficiency Accreditation Scheme (EEAS) for their energy saving initiatives at the Ellesmere Port facility.

I have to admit car manufacturers and the construction industry are seen as two of the biggest culprits to global warming and the depletion of non-renewable resources; yet many consumers such as you and I are unaware that the leaders in these industries are actually trying to change that around.  I could speak till I’m blue in the face about the huge advancements in the green building industry since this is my trade, but because of my job, I’m forced to drive, everyday – a big truck at that!  And would you believe it’s a Chevy Silverado.  Chevy trucks are the best on the market, hands down, even its competitors have to admit that, yet I just couldn’t believe they haven’t yet come out with the hybrid truck!  Mickey Bly, Director of Engineering for Hybrid Integration informed me that late 2008 we will see the new hybrid trucks!

Since I had Mr. Bly’s attention at lunch I used that opportunity to inquire about GM’s commitment and efforts in producing fuel efficient vehicles.  There are over 350 engineers in the US and over 900 worldwide working on improving hybrid technology for GM.  They are committed to being at the forefront if not the leaders in fuel efficiency, hybrid technology and later using hydrogen fuel cells.

After speaking with all the nice folks at GM it was time to actually experience first hand what we’ve been talking about…..(to be continued)

_______________________________

Next time, I’ll write about the driving lessons they gave us on safety maneuvers and about all the cars we were able to drive around Black Lake!  THIS WAS FUN!!!

[If you want to learn more about hybrid vehicles check out my column this week at Bellaonline.]