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Sen. Barack Obama calls on Wal-Mart to offer alternative fuels
Posted May 31st 2006 2:04PM by Brian White

Filed under: Deals, Management, Internet, Competitive strategy, Wal-Mart (WMT)

When a highly-visible Illinois senator calls on you to offer alternative fuels alongside traditional gasoline, you know the fight has just begun. Wal-Mart, which sells gas alongside many of its stores across the country, could do well to start having alternative fuels made available alongside standard gas. This would go along with many of its newer green initiatives.

With "flexible fuel" vehicles growing -- but not near the amount of standard gas-powered vehicles -- Wal-Mart would most likely install E85 pumps in Wal-Mart locations where they would we utilized fully right off the bat in order to judge demand and build a case for installing more. But, until automobile manufacturers begin making more flexible fuel vehicles for the common soccer mom down to the all-day delivery driver, will the impact be significant at all?

Don't get me wrong: this is a great start here if many of the national retail companies Obama writes to would start the game off correctly. But, there is more help needed than that -- the average consumer needs to demand this type of alternative fuel technology from the carmakers where they all buy cars. What would be the question you would ask if buying a new car?