By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

U.S. carmakers for years didn't pay enough attention to making fuel-efficient cars. GM came up with the Hummer, the poster-child for gasoline-guzzling vehicles. Now that gas is near $4 a gallon, however, times have changed.

On Tuesday, GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said the firm may sell the Hummer unit.

Why? Try this number on for size: The Hummer H3, the mid-size SUV, gets less than 14 miles a gallon in city driving.

GM also said Tuesday it would close four truck and SUV plants, and start making more fuel-efficient vehicles in the future.

"These higher gasoline prices are changing consumer behavior and rapidly," said Wagoner. "We don't think this is a temporary spike or shift. We think it is permanent."

Of course, other companies such as Honda and Toyota years ago were ahead of GM in getting aboard the hybrid bandwagon.

Now, those cars are selling well during times of spiking gasoline prices. No wonder the foreign companies are in better financial shape than GM.