Alternative fuel cars may be the answer to the big three automotive company troubles. Chrysler, GM, and Ford are all seeing plunging profits and finances that are close to bankruptcy. For too long the auto industry in Detroit has been building large vehicles that guzzle gas with no thought of pollution, when alternate fuel sources like hydrogen fuel and others, hybrid electric cars, and hydrogen cars all have researched technology behind them. Instead of turning to more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles, the troubled big three car companies have refused to realize that change is inevitable. At the beginning of the year gas prices were very high, and many Americans did not buy a new car because of this. Then the credit and financial crisis hit, and getting a car loan became impossible for any but those with perfect credit scores. This has meant hundreds of dealerships closed and tens of thousands of auto workers, dealership workers, and suppliers out of business and unemployed. The big three auto makers are having to close plants and lay off workers, and there is still no help in sight from the Federal government.

Alternative fuel vehicles may be just what the three biggest troubled automakers need. Revising the way they design and build cars, as well as incorporating more clean air technology and alternative sources of energy into the cars of the future, may be the boost the car makers need to completely change their public image and their bottom line both. Some advancements have been made, such as the new Chevy Volt, one of the new hybrid electric cars, which can go forty miles without using one single drop of gas. The problem is that until the big auto makers make these vehicles more cost effective few Americans are likely to buy them. The alternative fuel cars need to be more in line with gas powered cars of the same type. Buying green from the car companies means paying thousands more sometimes, to save a few hundred dollars on gas. For many Americans the savings do not add up. The big car makers need to research alternate fuel sources and technology further and find more effective and efficient ways to bring the costs of these vehicles down while boosting the capabilities and benefits of these cars.

There are many who argue that the big three put themselves in this position by refusing to move forward, and being stuck in the past. But others argue that if the banks and other financial institutions that started this mess deserve a hand from the government, so do the big three auto makers. If they get the help they are asking for, the car makers need to use this second chance to ensure that they invest in alternative fuel cars, and technology for alternate energy sources. For too long the motto in Detroit has been to build bigger vehicles with less gas mileage, and their concept was that if they built these vehicles Americans would buy them. Now more Americans are becoming environmentally conscious, and they are trying to minimize the damage they do to the earth. Alternative fuel cars, like hydrogen cars and hybrid electric cars, are going to be the cars of the future. If the big three auto makers realize this and move forward, these vehicles may be exactly what is needed to make these companies great once again. With new management and some government help and oversight, as well as some major cost cutting efforts to streamline operations, all three of the major car makers in Detroit may become very viable again.