Electric Vehicle Forums - CNW's future: Dust-to-Dust

http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4139730

Quote:

. . .
But the reputation of hybrids has been dented after CNW Marketing Research in the US released a study . . .

The report has since been criticised for misleading the public by employing unscientific methods, and for its lack of peer review. Its critics said that in particular, CNW, an automotive marketing company, made apparently selective and unsupported assumptions about the Hummer's life span - 35 years - against 12 years for the Prius.

CNW said the study was "self-funded", but it was slammed by the Pacific Institute - a California-based think-tank on sustainability - for violating fundamental principles regarding transparency of research funding.

The institute said peer-reviewed and verifiable research suggested the only reliable way to cut the use of fossil fuels in the transport sector was to build more fuel-efficient cars, develop alternative energy sources and, of course, drive less.
. . .

Counting the words in passages of this editorial piece:

64 - citing the CNW "Dust-to-Dust" nonsense
121 - reporting criticisms of CNW

Not only has the CNW nonsense faded from popular citations, in this case, twice as much print was used to cover the criticisms of this report. It is how the rumors of a report, the 'buzz', is killed by bringing it up and puncturing with the facts and data.

I didn't keep good records about CNW Marketing's frequency of citation but my impression is the frequency has fallen off. With gas reaching non-Katrina high prices and GM coming out with their two-mode hybrid, I suspect enthusiasm for citing them will continue to fall off. Now if GM will come out with an H3-hybrid, that will pretty well be the last nail in the coffin.

Bob Wilson