美国汽车制造商通用汽车公司(General Motors)的最高负责人表示，公司预计新的油电两用型节油汽车业务将出现亏损，但将继续推动开发进程，因为公司认为这些汽车将对公司形象有益。

General Motors expects its new hybrid fuel-saving vehicles to incur losses but is pushing ahead with development because it believes they will help its image, the US carmaker's top executive has said.

通用汽车公司董事长兼首席执行官里克•瓦格纳(Rick Wagoner)在接受采访时说，没有一家制造商能够在油电两用型汽车业务上赚钱。这种汽车正在美国热销。

Rick Wagoner, chairman and chief executive, said in an interview that no manufacturer was able to make money on hybrid petrol-electric vehicles, sales of which are booming in the US.

但他表示，通用正推动混合动力汽车的开发，以改善其环保方面的形象，这种做法将和丰田汽车(Toyota)受益于成功开发Prius混合动力汽车的方式一样。丰田是仅次于通用的全球第二大汽车制造商。

But he said GM was pushing ahead with hybrids to improve its environmental credentials in the same way that rival Toyota, the second-biggest carmaker after GM, benefited from the success of its Prius hybrid hatchback.

“我们的混合动力车将亏损，”他说，“它的技术仍处于早期阶段，产量也较低。”

“Our hybrids will lose money,” he said. “It is early stage technology and the volume is low.”

通用计划在2007年年底推出其Chevrolet Tahoe与GMC Yukon大型多功能运动型跑车(SUV)的混合动力型汽车，在此之后推出混合动力型皮卡，其技术由该公司和戴姆勒克莱斯勒(Daimler-Chrysler)及德国宝马(BMW)共同开发。

GM is planning to launch hybrid versions of its Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon large sport utility vehicles in late 2007, followed by hybrid pick-up trucks, using technology developed jointly with Daimler-Chrysler and BMW of Germany.

但瓦格纳先生表示，除非汽油价格涨到目前价格的三倍，达到每加仑8美元，否则将很难说服客户掏出足够多的钱，来弥补制造混合动力汽车的额外成本。这种汽车需要一个电动马达和电池，还有一个发动机。

But Mr Wagoner said unless petrol prices hit $8 a US gallon triple the current level it would be hard to persuade customers to pay enough to cover the extra costs of building hybrid vehicles, which require an electric motor and battery as well as an engine.

财务分析师担心，人们对于燃料效率的关注度提高，可能会对通用在明年初推出新款大型多功能运动型车和皮卡造成负面影响。由于医疗保健成本不断上升，以及现有大型多功能运动型车的销售正在放缓，通用正承受压力。公司北美汽车业务今年上半年亏损了25亿美元。

Financial analysts are concerned that the increased focus on fuel efficiency could hurt GM's US launch early next year of its new range of large SUVs and pick-ups. GM is under pressure from rising healthcare costs and slowing sales of its existing big SUVs, and its North American automotive division lost $2.5bn in the first half of the year.

通用的混合动力汽车在视觉效果上将明显不同于仅使用汽油的同类车型，这正是丰田的Prius所采取的做法。

GM will make hybrids visually distinct from their petrol-only counterparts, the approach Toyota took with its Prius.

译者/李功文