Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Sunday

Interview With Dieter Zetsche

Aired January 05, 2003 - 18:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: It is that time of the year. The auto show is underway in Detroit where they are rolling out the wild new concept cars. Jeff Flock is probably car shopping a little bit himself there. Jeff, how's it looking out there?
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I still like my '65 Dodge actually, but we'll take a look at what the new things are. This hour, Anderson, we're talking about the future. I don't know any better person to do that with than Dieter Zetsche who is the CEO of Chrysler. You made some headlines the other day by talking about alternative fuel vehicles.

You said I don't know about electric cars. I don't think they're going to make it. Hybrids, I'm not so sure if they're the only answer and you point to diesel as being one of the ways to go when we think about getting away from gasoline. Why and what is this we're looking at here, which is a diesel vehicle?

DIETER ZETSCHE, CEO, CHRYSLER GROUP, DAIMLERCHRYSLER: Let me say one word about hybrids. I am definitely not against hybrids. We will have hybrids in our showrooms in the near future and they are a good solution but they are just not the only one. We made this mistake once in the past by having four years ago only e-business and dot com in our mind and missing some other marks. The diesel is a great alternative and you can see here.

FLOCK: This is what it looks like. Now we think in America, we think diesel we think about big rigs and cross-country truckers and all that sort. This is a diesel too?

ZETSCHE: I wonder whether we shouldn't look for a new name because this engine really has nothing to do with on the one hand what propels the big rigs, on the other hand what the customer is used to ten and 20 years ago.

FLOCK: Show me this because some of our knowledge on this is fairly elementary. Could you go around and fire this engine up if you would?

ZETSCHE: Of course we can do that.

FLOCK: This is again a Jeep Liberty, which is one of your popular brands and, you know, your good friends at -- well, let's listen for a moment as we fire that up. Let me get my microphone in. I don't know if anybody can even hear that.

ZETSCHE: You'll have a hard time to even get it with your microphone, yes.

FLOCK: That's no special muffler you got on there. That's the real diesel engine.

ZETSCHE: That's just reality.

FLOCK: OK. Your good friends at General Motors are about to announce I think tomorrow that they're going to make a whole lot of alternative fuel vehicles.

ZETSCHE: Yes.

FLOCK: And actually market them to the public. How soon can I get this one here?

ZETSCHE: This is next year. You see the vehicle is just our great, very successful Liberty, and with the diesel engine we'll offer it next year to our customers.

FLOCK: So, diesel may some day replace gasoline in your view along with perhaps hybrids as well?

ZETSCHE: There's not one solution and one answer.

FLOCK: But there's one answer now, gasoline. That's the answer.

ZETSCHE: Clear, and in the future we won't have just gasoline but we'll have choices and this is a very viable choice. In Europe, we see about 30 percent of the vehicles being sold with diesel engines which gives you a 30 percent improvement in fuel consumption, which gives you 20 percent less CO2 which is about the climate.

FLOCK: And if Rick's able to back off a little bit to look at the full totality of this vehicle, it looks like a regular -- it is a regular vehicle. It looks just like a gasoline-powered car.

ZETSCHE: And the great thing is that when in Europe about 30 percent of the vehicles are sold with diesel, in the U.S. it could be even more because diesel provides you with strong torque (UNINTELLIGIBLE). This is about accelerating from the red light.

FLOCK: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

ZETSCHE: It's about towing big boats and it's about going off road which you actually can't do in Europe anymore. All of that is not (UNINTELLIGIBLE) top speed which would be the strength of a gasoline engine.

FLOCK: Mr. Zetsche, I appreciate the perspective. Thank you so much for taking the time at the North American International Auto Show.

ZETSCHE: Thank you for having me.

FLOCK: As we said folks at GM tomorrow with an announcement but you're with the diesel here so we're going to keep an eye on you as well, appreciate it.

ZETSCHE: I think that's a good bet.

FLOCK: Anderson that is the latest from here. I appreciate the time, thank you sir, back to you.

COOPER: He certainly knows his American market. He knows we like quick acceleration.

FLOCK: You said it, not those mini Coopers by the way.

COOPER: All right, Jeff thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 5, 2003 - 18:22   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: It is that time of the year. The auto show is underway in Detroit where they are rolling out the wild new concept cars. Jeff Flock is probably car shopping a little bit himself there. Jeff, how's it looking out there?
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I still like my '65 Dodge actually, but we'll take a look at what the new things are. This hour, Anderson, we're talking about the future. I don't know any better person to do that with than Dieter Zetsche who is the CEO of Chrysler. You made some headlines the other day by talking about alternative fuel vehicles.

You said I don't know about electric cars. I don't think they're going to make it. Hybrids, I'm not so sure if they're the only answer and you point to diesel as being one of the ways to go when we think about getting away from gasoline. Why and what is this we're looking at here, which is a diesel vehicle?

DIETER ZETSCHE, CEO, CHRYSLER GROUP, DAIMLERCHRYSLER: Let me say one word about hybrids. I am definitely not against hybrids. We will have hybrids in our showrooms in the near future and they are a good solution but they are just not the only one. We made this mistake once in the past by having four years ago only e-business and dot com in our mind and missing some other marks. The diesel is a great alternative and you can see here.

FLOCK: This is what it looks like. Now we think in America, we think diesel we think about big rigs and cross-country truckers and all that sort. This is a diesel too?

ZETSCHE: I wonder whether we shouldn't look for a new name because this engine really has nothing to do with on the one hand what propels the big rigs, on the other hand what the customer is used to ten and 20 years ago.

FLOCK: Show me this because some of our knowledge on this is fairly elementary. Could you go around and fire this engine up if you would?

ZETSCHE: Of course we can do that.

FLOCK: This is again a Jeep Liberty, which is one of your popular brands and, you know, your good friends at -- well, let's listen for a moment as we fire that up. Let me get my microphone in. I don't know if anybody can even hear that.

ZETSCHE: You'll have a hard time to even get it with your microphone, yes.

FLOCK: That's no special muffler you got on there. That's the real diesel engine.

ZETSCHE: That's just reality.

FLOCK: OK. Your good friends at General Motors are about to announce I think tomorrow that they're going to make a whole lot of alternative fuel vehicles.

ZETSCHE: Yes.

FLOCK: And actually market them to the public. How soon can I get this one here?

ZETSCHE: This is next year. You see the vehicle is just our great, very successful Liberty, and with the diesel engine we'll offer it next year to our customers.

FLOCK: So, diesel may some day replace gasoline in your view along with perhaps hybrids as well?

ZETSCHE: There's not one solution and one answer.

FLOCK: But there's one answer now, gasoline. That's the answer.

ZETSCHE: Clear, and in the future we won't have just gasoline but we'll have choices and this is a very viable choice. In Europe, we see about 30 percent of the vehicles being sold with diesel engines which gives you a 30 percent improvement in fuel consumption, which gives you 20 percent less CO2 which is about the climate.

FLOCK: And if Rick's able to back off a little bit to look at the full totality of this vehicle, it looks like a regular -- it is a regular vehicle. It looks just like a gasoline-powered car.

ZETSCHE: And the great thing is that when in Europe about 30 percent of the vehicles are sold with diesel, in the U.S. it could be even more because diesel provides you with strong torque (UNINTELLIGIBLE). This is about accelerating from the red light.

FLOCK: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

ZETSCHE: It's about towing big boats and it's about going off road which you actually can't do in Europe anymore. All of that is not (UNINTELLIGIBLE) top speed which would be the strength of a gasoline engine.

FLOCK: Mr. Zetsche, I appreciate the perspective. Thank you so much for taking the time at the North American International Auto Show.

ZETSCHE: Thank you for having me.

FLOCK: As we said folks at GM tomorrow with an announcement but you're with the diesel here so we're going to keep an eye on you as well, appreciate it.

ZETSCHE: I think that's a good bet.

FLOCK: Anderson that is the latest from here. I appreciate the time, thank you sir, back to you.

COOPER: He certainly knows his American market. He knows we like quick acceleration.

FLOCK: You said it, not those mini Coopers by the way.

COOPER: All right, Jeff thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com