HUMMER Demise on the Horizon?

Following General Motors’ Board of Directors meeting on Monday, Rick Wagoner dropped the bombshell that the Corporation was considering closing HUMMER, selling HUMMER or completely revamping its product line. Any of these drastic steps could dramatically impact the vehicle fleet on a small 46-home hilltop enclave in Orange County, California.

Among those 46 homes there are seven HUMMER H2s. One family has three H2s with two drivers - two H2 SUVs and one H2 SUT. Clearly these big, thirsty SUVs were purchased before gasoline topped $4 per gallon, but I don’t see folks rushing to replace their H2s with Kia Rios either.

Being as image-conscious as Orange County is, it will be very interesting to see how social pressure to drive something more fuel efficient will impact the hilltop H2 crowd. If it turns out that after months of super-high gasoline prices H2s are not cool anymore, will these folks conclude - as it appears GM has - that they should replace their HUMMERs with something more socially responsible?

Escalade Hybrids anyone?

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