Fuel up on Chrysler's tab
In an attempt to drive sales out of a double-digit slide, Chrysler LLC is offering car buyers a gas card that will lock in the price they pay at the pump to $2.99 per gallon for three years.
Dependent on the sale of large vehicles, Chrysler's car and truck sales have fallen 17.6% in the first four months of 2008, which is more than double the rate of decline for the auto industry in general, according to Autodata Corp. data used in a Detroit News story. The Detroit-based automaker is looking to appeal to car buyers' growing pain at the pump.
As gas prices continues to climb, averaging $3.61 per gallon for regular unleaded and heading toward the $4 mark, Chrysler is offering its customers the chance to keep their gas payments under $3 per gallon. It's a national offer, and it's available to buyers of most Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles starting tomorrow and running through June 2. And customers who choose not to enroll in the gas card plan can still take advantage of traditional rebates, Christine Tierney reported in the Detroit News story.
General Motors Corp. has run similar programs in the past, but only in certain states, and Ford has made similar offers on a regional basis, Tierney reported.
As consumers' concern for skyrocketing gas prices takes center stage, Chrysler's national program seems to be a particularly timely offer. But for an automaker that's reliant on large vehicle sales, will gas mileage numbers offset any potential fuel savings in consumers' minds? Is this a savvy marketing strategy? What do you think?
