Defending the Camaro

Source: Globe and Mail
August 29, 2006
DAVID W. PATERSON
vice-president, corporate and environmental affairs, General Motors of Canada

Oshawa, Ont. -- Jeffrey Simpson's column regarding the great news that GM will invest $740-million to build the new Camaro in Oshawa contained some unfortunate inaccuracies (Where's The Camaro Muscle In Fighting Climate Change? -- Aug. 25).

GM's new vehicles, (including the Camaro when it launches in 2009) have so dramatically reduced smog-causing emissions that today, if Mr. Simpson burns a cord of wood in his fireplace, he will generate more smog emissions than a fleet of 10 Chevy Camaros over their entire practical lifetime.

And while GM has not yet announced engine specifics for the Camaro, other GM sports cars such as the Chevy Corvette today achieve exceptional fuel economy, approaching 37 miles per Imperial gallon on the highway (7.6 litres per 100 kilometres).

Furthermore, following our industry's voluntary agreement to reduce greenhouse gases from our vehicles by 5.3 million tonnes by 2010, new GM technologies like active fuel management, flex fuel E85 and our new hybrid engines are being deployed in Canada with great benefit for saving fuel and reducing emissions.

Rather than unfairly slamming our products and the auto workers of Durham Region who make them, Mr. Simpson might consider that the Oshawa-made flex-fuel Chevy Impala, running on E85 ethanol from Ottawa-based Iogen Corp., generates more than 35 per cent less net carbon dioxide than the smallest hybrid cars sold in North America today.