Two Detroit automakers criticized an email sent on August 17th to the 67,000 employees of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The email, which was intended to promote buying fuel-efficient automobiles, specifically named several non-Detroit nameplates as preferable options.
The email, reprinted by the Detroit News, states: "Every new sport utility vehicle on the road produces 60 percent more climate threatening CO2 emissions than a smaller vehicle ... Fortunately, there are efficient options for a consumer to choose from when selecting a vehicle to drive … A couple of high profile releases for 2007 are the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Nissan Altima Hybrid."
The email actually contains a compilation of a significant amount of well thought out background information. On its surface, it might make a good magazine article.
The problem is that HHS does not seem to understand the impact of an email when it is sent out by your employer -- especially when the employer is the federal government. SUVs are a particular sore point for the automotive industry because they are so much more profitable than small cars.
HHS is claiming that the car recommendations are not official policy. Fine. But, doesn't sending it out make it appear official? (Is this not the same issue we see time and time again when email is used as evidence?) Who checks the message?
"Can you imagine the Japanese government sending out an e-mail encouraging employees to buy American cars?," said Chrysler LLC spokesman Jason Vines in the Detroit News. He said that the email showed a clear bias against the American auto makers from the federal government.
"We find it puzzling that a government agency such as Health and Human Services is advising its employees on what they should choose as a personal vehicle," Ford Motor Co. spokeswoman Jennifer Moore said.
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