GMH were offered an EV several years ago based on a CSIRO converted Commodore to compete with the Prius. They turned it down.

They remind me of the IBM mainframe managers in the ’70′s, who looked at the newly invented PC’s and told IBM HQ in Armonk that they had no future.

GMH has failed to develop a relationship with their end users. Decisions are made to suit their distributors, so they refuse to discuss the Volt. They want to make sure that Australians go on buying their other cars until the Volt is actually here in Australia.

Affordable EV and PHEV’s will become available in Australia starting in 2010. Once that happens petrol fuelled cars will rapidly start to lose their second hand value, particularly because by then petrol could cost around $2.30 litre (CSIRO high case).

So people need to start now to plan how and when they will migrate to EV’s.

One possibility is to trade in the current car on a used Prius.

This immediately cuts petrol costs in half and opens the possibility of converting the Prius to a plug-in at any time, should petrol go through the roof before 2010.

Being a hybrid, the Prius will hold its value well into the EV era.

I spent a couple of weeks in a Camry last month ans there was nothing “special” about it

What makes Toyota so popular is not their build quality fit and finish or reliability.. because in reality they are about the same as the other two in terms of mechanical failures etc – sure they mightn’t breakdown as often but when they do its usually more expensive.

No – Toyotas success is based more on their marketing than anything else.

The thing is, GMH automobiles are fun cars to drive. Just that their quality and appointment levels are poor compared to other marquees.

If you want the car to sell well. Put a Toyota badge on it. The facts tell the truth, Aussies love mediocre metal boxes that pretend to give their dreary lives that little uplift that can only be achieved by a conservative retail therapy session at your local dealership.

SteveC