Not long ago, the phrase “hybrid SUV” would have been considered an oxymoron, but almost overnight, hybrid cars of all shapes and sizes became mainstream. As gas prices soared and concerns about the environment deepened, many people were looking for innovative solutions to energy problems and wondering about the cars of the future.

Enter Lee Lindquist, alternative fuels specialist at Scholfield Honda in Wichita, Kansas. Lindquist loves technology, is a passionate environmentalist, and has found the perfect way to make a difference at work. While researching alternative fuel vehicles for his upcoming presentation at the local Sierra Club, he learned Honda had been selling a natural gas vehicle in New York and California since 1998, where it was marketed as a way for municipalities and fleet customers to address air quality issues. He also discovered that the Honda Civic GX was the greenest model currently available for sale in the United States.

Lindquist couldn’t believe Honda’s most innovative car had been on the market for ten years and still hadn’t been embraced by Honda dealerships or consumers. One challenge of offering the Civic GX to the public was the lack of natural gas fueling stations and the high cost of purchasing and installing individual fueling stations for home use. With any new technology, a critical mass of early adopters helped lay groundwork for others. In the case of the Civic GX, Honda dealerships weren’t adopting or promoting the new technology, and Lindquist viewed this lack of entrepreneurship as unacceptable.

Rising fuel prices provided the perfect opportunity to introduce cost-conscious and green-minded customers to the Civic GX. When Lindquist brought the Civic GX idea to his boss, owner Roger Scholfield was skeptical. He had long been promoting the Honda brand as fuel-efficient and didn’t want to confuse customers with the “new” vehicle. Nevertheless, he eventually warmed to the idea and with Lindquist’s help, he started marketing the car to corporate and government customers.

When the infamous tornado hit Greensburg in 2007, going green at Scholfield Honda took on new meaning. Emboldened after top management implemented his first recommendation to stock the Civic GX, Lindquist saw an amazing chance to promote
the Civic GX and position Scholfield Honda as the regional leader in green vehicle technology. Scholfield, a long-time supporter of local communities, already was planning to make a generous contribution to Greensburg, but he envisioned something fairly different from his young, determined employee. However, Lindquist urged Scholfield to donate a Civic GX and a fueling station to Greensburg Green- Town, the organization set up to educate the town’s residents about green building methods and products.

Well aware of the media attention surrounding Greensburg, Scholfield was open to Lindquist’s idea. Greensburg residents, along with folks across the entire region and country, would learn about Honda’s cutting-edge alternative. Scholfi eld questioned his decision to donate the car even as he was driving to
Greensburg to present the expensive gift, but ultimately he knew investing in change was the right thing to do.

Since the donation, Scholfield’s customers have shown more interest in alternative fuel vehicles and recognize the dealership’s contribution to the green transformation occurring nationwide. Honda U.S.A. also has applauded Scholfield’s efforts.

Anyone interested in buying a Civic GX today needs to get in line, because dealerships can’t keep the cars in stock. While waiting, sip coffee from a compostable corn-based cup, toss old soda cans from your back seat into a recycling bin, and grab a free reusable green shopping bag on your way out. The dealership might even be giving away small trees on the day you stop by. Lindquist recognized that Scholfield Honda’s culture needed to change too, so he convinced Scholfield to form a “Green Team” that meets monthly to identify what’s next at this everchanging workplace.

Discussion Questions

1. What might explain dealers’ failure to promote the Civic GX, beyond fueling issues?

2. How might Scholfield Honda expand on the changes put into motion by Lindquist?

3. How could the Honda Corporation capitalize on innovation at the dealership level?