http://learnshareact.com/greenlifestyle/2009/07/06/auto-makers-knew-this-day-was-coming/ Welcome to Learn Share Act! Living our potential together! Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:31:01 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 http://learnshareact.com/greenlifestyle/2009/07/06/auto-makers-knew-this-day-was-coming/comment-page-1/#comment-16 mark Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:31:01 +0000 http://learnshareact.com/greenlifestyle/2009/07/06/auto-makers-knew-this-day-was-coming/#comment-16 While I am no fan of government intervention in private industry, it is unfortunate that poor regulatory controls at the upper end of the financial services sector led to an economic downturn that caught companies like GM and Chrysler unprepared. It is pretty impressive that GM is ready to come out of of bankruptcy already! Still, the wild swings in oil prices make it hard for companies to build the right products and carry the right inventory for the future. Toyota was selling the Prius at a premium last summer and this summer are discounting them. It seems, that from a business standpoint the right move for Detroit is to spread the risk by building a balance of SUV's, small cars and hybrids so they won't get caught with their pants down. However, that is not the best thing for the environment, so I hope we'll see more incentives for purchasing hybrids and more environmentally responsible vehicles. Europe has seldom been "burdened" with cheap gas and excels in building small cars that get good milage. Thus companies like Fiat have been making a good living selling economical people movers. Of course, they face all sorts of challenges in Europe with some French companies (Renault and Peugeot) getting subsidies from their government. Ford has done pretty well in Europe for many years thanks to the vision of Henry Ford II in the post WWII era. The car business is sure a tough one, but it has an enormous impact on both the economy and the environment. While I am no fan of government intervention in private industry, it is unfortunate that poor regulatory controls at the upper end of the financial services sector led to an economic downturn that caught companies like GM and Chrysler unprepared. It is pretty impressive that GM is ready to come out of of bankruptcy already!
Still, the wild swings in oil prices make it hard for companies to build the right products and carry the right inventory for the future. Toyota was selling the Prius at a premium last summer and this summer are discounting them.
It seems, that from a business standpoint the right move for Detroit is to spread the risk by building a balance of SUV’s, small cars and hybrids so they won’t get caught with their pants down. However, that is not the best thing for the environment, so I hope we’ll see more incentives for purchasing hybrids and more environmentally responsible vehicles.
Europe has seldom been “burdened” with cheap gas and excels in building small cars that get good milage. Thus companies like Fiat have been making a good living selling economical people movers.
Of course, they face all sorts of challenges in Europe with some French companies (Renault and Peugeot) getting subsidies from their government. Ford has done pretty well in Europe for many years thanks to the vision of Henry Ford II in the post WWII era. The car business is sure a tough one, but it has an enormous impact on both the economy and the environment.

]]> http://learnshareact.com/greenlifestyle/2009/07/06/auto-makers-knew-this-day-was-coming/comment-page-1/#comment-15 greenlifestyle Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:49:27 +0000 http://learnshareact.com/greenlifestyle/2009/07/06/auto-makers-knew-this-day-was-coming/#comment-15 I agree. They used some foresight. They are now reaping the bennefits. I agree. They used some foresight. They are now reaping the bennefits.

]]> http://learnshareact.com/greenlifestyle/2009/07/06/auto-makers-knew-this-day-was-coming/comment-page-1/#comment-14 cherylcolorado Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:26:15 +0000 http://learnshareact.com/greenlifestyle/2009/07/06/auto-makers-knew-this-day-was-coming/#comment-14 Ford not only makes both a hybrid suv and a hybrid sedan, but it is in the process of converting an suv manufacturing plant into an all electric Ford Focus manufacturing plant....and they didn't take any bailout money. I'm a fan! Ford not only makes both a hybrid suv and a hybrid sedan, but it is in the process of converting an suv manufacturing plant into an all electric Ford Focus manufacturing plant….and they didn’t take any bailout money. I’m a fan!

]]>