Since the government is going to be in business with America's largest corporations it should be done with companies that promise to make socially and environmentally acceptable products. A look at General Motors and Honda shows the native company mired in debt slowly dying despite billions in government financial aid while Honda, suffering lower sales (except for sales of its hybrid cars) because of the worldwide depression, is announcing the debut of its new Class 8 hybrid truck assembled by Peterbuilt Motors Company in Georgia. Auditors examining GM's books for its annual SEC report are uncovering a bleak house of plummeting sales, reoccurring operating losses and inability to raise new capital. These conditions are choking the company's cash flow and threatening the "going concern" rating. Failure to achieve such a rating from auditors could trigger more loan default clauses. During the past 3 years GM has piled up $82 billion in losses. It has received $13.4 in federal loans. GM's stock price fell to $1.80 after the market close on Wednesday. The company now faces the March 31 deadline for signed agreements from debt holders and the UAW which it needs to demonstrate to the government it can become a viable company again. GM will have to close five more factories and layoff 47,000 workers world wide to survive. The alternative is a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 
The Honda Model 386 hybrid diesel-electric truck is certified green by the EPA. It uses a parallel system developed by Eaton Corporation and is expected to reduce emissions by almost 45 tons a year compared to diesel trucks. Like a hybrid car, the system generates electricity from brake energy. Fuel efficiency is improved by powering electrical systems without auxiliary motors when the engine is off. The truck will be tested by UPS hauling auto parts for the company and its performance telemetry compared to diesels on the same two dissimilar routes.
[photos: courtesy American Honda Motor Co.]