According to the Vice Chairman of General Motors, Bob Lutz, business as usual is no longer acceptable; consumers are demanding green, fuel-efficient vehicles.  Lutz has been promoting the newest green technology by GM.  However, he says that although GM will meet the market demands, motorists are going to have to be prepared to pay for it.  Not only will drivers be paying for the car cost, maintenance, and an auto warranty, they are going to also pay for technology that is advanced.

Lutz claims that in America, drivers are going to pay an additional $10,000 per vehicle to maintain the cars, trucks and crossovers that are out there today.  The reason for this is the added costs to manufacture lightweight, advanced materials.

Although people are focusing on fuel-efficiency and environmental issues, Lutz wonders if motorists in the U.S. are really all that concerned about new technology to achieve higher mileage.    He feels that even though fuel prices are on the rise, they don’t have that big of an impact on the average driver.  An average commuter will pay an additional $30 to $40 a week in gas.