Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5
However, I tend to think if they want to end production, it isn't profitable.
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That's my point: GM probably wants to kill the Volt because it's not profitable NOW - short term thinking, in other words. Toyota was willing to spend a decade or more producing an unprofitable_this_quarter Prius because they saw that it (and the continuously-improved technology) was likely be profitable in the long term.
So Toyota can sell the Prius & derivatives profitably now, and when the next gas price hike comes (and it is a case of when, not if), they'll be positioned to take advantage of the increased demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. But GM switches to building big trucks and SUVs because they're more profitable now, so when the price hike hits, their business implodes.