Wal-Mart May Sell Electric Cars from China

Welcome to the Wal-Mart of the future:

"Imagine your customers pulling into your parking lot and seeing wind turbines and solar panels, and being able to charge their cars while they shop.”

That was CEO H. Lee Scott speaking to US store managers, envisioning a Wal-Mart hawking and servicing the first generation of electric vehicles to US consumers. He announced he’s already in talks with "major" automakers to bring his plug-in vision to a Wal-Mart near you.

And yet, he conspicuously leaves out names of the referenced automakers. But why? Who on Earth could it be?

Here's a compelling guess I came across at GM Inside News, from a frequent contributor there called Perian:

Re: Walmart Discusses Selling Hybrid Automobiles With "Major Companies"

One word hit me as I read the first paragraph this morning: CHINA.

We know the Detroit 3 and current foreign importers (Toyota etc) could not possibly sell vehicles to Walmart due to their dealer franchise agreements - so really - who does that leave?

Who would like to break into this country in a big way?

Who would love to have an 'instant' dealer network?

Who would have a sales edge with low cost hybrid vehicles?

What large American company could benefit from selling 'green' and inexpensive vehicles to their built-in customer base?

What large American company would most Americans trust when buying a new and unproven new item?

What large American company already has auto service centers at many of its superstores?

What large American company already has extensive ties to a large foreign based manufacturing source?

How was it that the display of Chinese made hybrid vehicles at the Detroit Auto Show got so much media attention?

This little blurb could turn into the story of the year.

Imagine for a moment if Walmart became a dealer for a Chinese automobile manufacturer.

We know the Wal-Mart formula -- import Chinese goods, sell them for peanuts? Why not a car. And we've just reported that China's gearing up to corner the global wind turbine market too, in just a few years. No need for imagination there. It's happening.

What's harder to imagine is that America could end up squandering the global economic opportunity of the 21st century -- to build the foundation of a new energy economy. While emerging economies seize the day.

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