What's Green on the Outside and Has a Hummer on the Inside?

Submitted by Anne Landman on

Can you green a Hummer?Discovery Communications is spending $100 million to re-make its home television network into "Planet Green," the first television channel devoted entirely to environmentally-themed programming. Programs will feature "green" Hollywood stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, rocker Tommy Lee and rapper Ludacris, and will show viewers how to remodel their homes and cook using environmentally-friendly methods and materials. But the "exclusive automobile sponsor" of the new "green" channel is General Motors, which makes gas-guzzling Hummer SUVs. Even with gas at $4 a gallon and Hummer's 32-gallon gas tank costing $128 to fill, GM still plans to roll out the largest Hummer yet this fall. The H3T is 22 inches longer than the H3, and has a four-door cab and an open truck bed. Thanks to plummeting Hummer sales and maybe also the obvious clash with its desire to be considered "green," GM is considering selling off the brand.

Main Source: 
CNBC Media Money, June 3, 2008
Topics: 
Cause-Related Marketing
Corporations
Environment
Media
Public Relations

Comments

Diane Farsetta replied on

From the current issue of [http://www.prweekus.com/Discoverys-Planet-Green-launch-showcases-networks-edgy-side/article/110769/ PR Week]:

Discovery organized a Los Angeles rock concert headlined by Tommy Lee and Ludacris for the kickoff launch event May 28 in an effort to prove that Planet Green is "a little edgier than things we've done in the past," [Discovery senior vice-president Annie] Howell explained. "We wanted to make sure that we didn't do just a traditional launch."

Additional pre-launch activities include some guerilla marketing tactics in New York and at a Washington Nationals baseball game, where David Zaslav, the CEO of Discovery Communications, will throw out the first pitch. ...

The key demographics for Planet Green include teens and college-aged youth, first-time parents, and baby boomers. The PR team used a unique outreach strategy for each group: blogs and online being the focus for the younger crowd; long-lead magazines for reaching out to first-time parents; and broadcast and radio outreach to target boomers.

rcjorgensen replied on

Dear Hummer manufacturer the new Hummer is good for families the problem with it is not the room inside or the safety and comfort of the vehicle. It's the gas mileage, the first ones got about 12 mpg, thn the second models got 20 mpg. If you want to have success with the third model which I believe will be popular for it's style and room for familes you must embrace the on demand hydrogen technology and manufacturer the vehicles with 40 to 50 Mpg! You can hae a competition of nerds that can work on this for you and then you won't have to sell off the line because you will be swimming in profits. Solar roof panels would go over on this vehicle too.
www.rcjorgensen2008.com see our link on water4gas.com
www.google:rcjorgensen www.votesmart.org

scoobydoo replied on

Gas Mileage of H2
On BBC's Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson reported that the H2 offered mileage of ~3.5 mpg* offroad in the desert and as low as 1 mpg** on road.
* From memory.
** When accelerating on a tarmac / asphalt road.

The figures were obtained from the H2's own computer.

In the UK petrol (gasoline) costs 10.27 USD per Gal. US or £1.27 per litre.

That's 328.64 USD to fill its 32-gallon gas tank!

scoobydoo replied on

Fuel consumption from Hummer specifications - Note that the mileage is NOT detailed in the specifications, but it is possible to calculate approximate figures from the the fuel tank capacity and range figures. But exact driving conditions and the driving cycle under which these were obtained are unknown.

Figures have been rounded to one decimal place.

But it is unlikely that these involve a lot of stopping and starting, which has a big effect on fuel consumption from driving in traffic or short journeys!

So the real fuel consumption could actually be a lot worse than these, depending upon circumstances, such as driving style, vehicle loading, gradient and terrain conditions.

However, these figures are bad enough!

2003 HUMMER H2
The 2003 version does not state fuel economy figures but it does state
“RANGE (MINIMUM): 350 miles+”
Source:http://www.elcova.com/h2/2003info.html
Which is350 miles /32 gals = 10.9 mpg

2004 HUMMER H2
"Cruising range (miles / km at an average of 30-40 mph (48-64 km/h) over a hard surface and rolling terrain): 310 / 499 miles". Therefore no stopping and starting or short journeys.
http://www.elcova.com/h2/specs.html
Which is 310 miles /32 gals = 9.7 mpg

2007 Hummer H2 SUT
"Driving the Hummer around the city, on the highway and off-road, the observed fuel economy was 9.3 mpg."
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Followup/articleId=116879

These are probably the most accurate figures.