Detroit Motor Show: To go big or to go green? - BBC News
The US car industry is booming once more, and here in Detroit, the gloom - and then brittle optimism - that once permeated North America's biggest car show has faded into a more relaxed confidence. Sales at the so-called Detroit big three - that's Ford, General Motors and Chrysler (now owned by the Italian firm Fiat) - have rebounded as the US economy has recovered, and 2015 looks to be even better. But with opportunity has once more come, if not hubris, than at least the possibility of it. Plunging oil prices have made US car buyers flock once more to large trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) - and away from the hybrid and electrical... "Looking at history, you see that when gas prices have gone up historically that's really hurt the car industry, particularly the American car industry," says University of Michigan professor Don Grimes. "[The big three] have all suffered disproportionately during high prices and have benefitted disproportionately from lower gas prices. But as oil prices have plunged over the past few months, pick-up trucks and SUV sales have grabbed greater market share once more. Source: www.bbc.com
