Jim Tranum has been selling GM vehicles from his Temple dealership for 18 years. He said he has already implemented a shift toward automobiles that get high gas mileage.
“We’ve been working on adjusting inventory for nine months,” Tranum said. “This is probably a blessing because inventories are too big and need to be reduced.”
The announcement this week is not the first to rock the American automobile industry, which is trying to play catch-up to imports that have a reputation for being more fuel-efficient. Tranum said more should have been done earlier.
“This is not just a GM problem, this is nationwide,” Tranum said, pointing the finger at Washington. “Your government officials and politicians should have been working on this, but they’re more interested in the elections than solving problems.”
As an alternative to an SUV, Tranum said local customers are buying hatchbacks like the Pontiac Vibe, which is supposed to get around 30 miles per gallon.
“The hatchback very easily converts to an SUV, it holds a tremendous amount of space,” Tranum said. “That’s where people are going.”
