Carmakers call for alternative fuel, hybrid options

General Motors (GM) Chief Operating Officer (COO) Fritz Henderson said 96% of the automobiles used petroleum products as fuel about a century ago and even today, the percentage remains the same. This is despite the vehicles evolving in every aspect. However, there will be a significant shift in the fuel during the next century due to depleting fossil fuels and environmental issues. The challenge for the automotive industry is to work on reducing the dependency of petroleum fuels, he said. Significant attempts have been made by vehicle manufacturers to combat the fuel issue and one such thing is the evolution of compact and small cars. The COO of Mercedes-Benz, Rainer E. Schmuckle, said customers reluctance and uncertainty affect vehicle manufacturers. So initiatives such as continuous improvement would help these companies to remain competitive, he said. For instance the company has taken about 43,000 measures to optimize the entire value chain to enhance efficiency and cost competitiveness. (September 5, 2008)