Penske to become a big PHEV & EV distributor

Electric vehicles may be the first to be built in the U.S. by the new Saturn, says Roger Penske, the race driver-turned-automotive entrepreneur whose Penske Automotive Group has agreed to acquire Saturn from General Motors Corp.

In an exclusive interview shortly after announcing the deal in Detroit, Penske said that the Obama administration's new emphasis on development of battery-powered vehicles means EVs "will be right at the forefront" and "might be the first produced" by a Penske-owned Saturn.

Penske, who has the U.S. distribution deal for Daimler's Smart Car, including the upcoming Smart Fortwo EV, said that Saturn and Smart would be kept separate and Saturn dealers wouldn't be asked to market Smarts.

He said with 3.5 million Saturn's already sold, he's confident there's enough of a loyal customer base to make the brand successful as a stand-alone and that he intends to emphasize fuel efficiency and low price in future models to build sales volume back to the 200,000-a-year level. Saturn sales have slipped to less than 100,000 a year under GM.

Source : edmunds.com, by John O'Dell, June 5th 2009