Getting More Miles to the Gallon; Automakers Are Rolling Out the Hybrids

Sales of sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks fell for a second straight year in the Milwaukee area, as high gasoline prices drove some vehicle buyers to cars from light trucks.

Light-vehicle sales fell 4% in the Milwaukee region, according to data provided by Reg-Trak Inc. That included a 10% drop in truck sales, offset by a 1% gain in car sales.

High gas prices last year played a role, as Milwaukee's sales reflected a national trend in consumer shifts away from larger, less fuel-efficient cars, said Don Hansen, president of the Automobile Dealers Association of Mega Milwaukee Inc.

With gas prices off sharply from their highs above $3.20 a gallon last summer, sales were up 4% in January in the four-county Milwaukee region, according to Hansen.

Response to shifting customer tastes will be evident to visitors to the Greater Milwaukee Auto Show, which opens today at the Midwest Airlines Center in downtown Milwaukee. Getting more miles to the gallon will be a big theme this year, as hybrids are on display from a variety of automakers, including hybrid veterans Honda and Toyota and new entrants from General Motors and other automakers.

GM is showcasing its full-size hybrid SUV - the battery-and- gasoline version of the big SUVs made at the Janesville GM factory. Detailed mileage information isn't available yet for the 2008 models that go on sale later this year, said Eric Kaufman, fuel efficiency engineer at GM.

But the models are slated to have a 25% improvement over the Tahoes, Yukons and Suburbans. That would translate to roughly four more miles per gallon for an SUV with an even split of city and highway driving. A two-wheel-drive version of the Tahoe, equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, gets 16 mpg in the city, 22 on the highway, Kaufman said.

GM plans to introduce 12 different hybrid models over the next several years, he said.

New to this year's show will be some free advice from local hybrid experts. Members of the Milwaukee hybrid owners group will be on hand to provide insights to hybrid shoppers and car owners on hybrid technology and offering tips for improving gas mileage.

"If a show-goer is looking for good solid information from an unbiased group, that would be the club," Hansen said.

Hansen, who has led ADAMM for 17 years, said he was impressed by the unique styling of several concept cars at the show, including the diesel-hybrid Ford Reflex and the retro-boxy look of the Ford Fairlane three-row SUV.

As the auto show celebrates its 100th anniversary, the Detroit car-makers find themselves in the midst of restructurings that are expected to shed more than 100,000 jobs.

The latest came last week, when DaimlerChrysler said it would cut 11,000 U.S. jobs at Chrysler and announced that it's considering selling Chrysler. That restructuring could result in 10% to 15% fewer dealers selling Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth brand vehicles, said Tom LaSorda, Chrysler president and chief executive, last week.

"I hope they pull through," Hansen said of the American automakers. "It's perilous times out there."

At the same time, an aggressive push by automakers to beef up their styling is winning kudos for the Big Three.

"They are having a tough time right at the moment, but things change very quickly. If the domestics come up with products that suddenly appeal to the public, then things ought to move along real good again," Hansen said.

SPECIAL SECTIONS

Look for a special Auto Show section in the Sunday, Tuesday and Friday papers

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