[opendtv] Re: News: Ditch Your TV
- From: "John Willkie" <johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:37:42 -0800
i.e.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122887051709693341.html?mod=djemEditorialPa
ge>
John Willkie
-----Mensaje original-----
De: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] En
nombre de John Willkie
Enviado el: Thursday, December 11, 2008 4:10 PM
Para: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Asunto: [opendtv] Re: News: Ditch Your TV
Peter;
The -- hopefully dead -- "auto bailout" is actually a United Auto Workers
subsidy.
The CAFÉ (corporate average fuel economy) rules ALSO limit the number of
cars that these automakers can import from non-NAFTA countries, as well
placing limits on "imports" from NAFTA countries.
And, few Americans want these small cars. Fuel here is now around $1.50 per
gallon; when fuel prices got to about half the European prices -- $4.00 a
gallon, or about $1.00 a liter) there wasn't a rush to smaller cars, there
was just disinterest in buying cars. The automakers with Hybrids just upped
their prices, and slightly increased production.
Now, there are plenty of Hyprids to buy, but little customer interest.
John Willkie
-----Mensaje original-----
De: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] En
nombre de peter wilson
Enviado el: Thursday, December 11, 2008 3:58 PM
Para: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Asunto: [opendtv] Re: News: Ditch Your TV
Hi all,
Coming from Europe I find it very strange that Ford and GM who produce class
leading compact cars in Europe don't import the designs to the USA. Sure
there are local regulation differences but they cannot be that big. European
Emissions regulations are also very stiff. Ford and Vauxhall are the top two
in the Uk with a Wide range of cars in several size classes from very small
to mid range.
What's also galling is that although Ford and probably GM have pulled cash
out of Europe for decades to prop up their US operations inefficiencies they
expect the UK government to support a US company in a crisis.
Now finally that the US has low sulphur Diesel Fuel at the pumps you could
try the, quiet, economical and powerful modern diesels with electronic
single rail injection, catalytic converters and particulate filters. It is
common today to get 45 Miles + from a Uk gallon with a 2 litre diesel, my
six year old 2 litre diesel Peugeot with 115 Bhp manages over 40 MPG average
over 20,000 miles and although I don't drive recklessly fast I don't hang
around either, smaller cars with 1,4 litre Diesel engines will hit 60 MPG +
driven carefully and 100 MPH if not.
Regards,
Peter
-----Original Message-----
From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Manfredi, Albert E
Sent: 11 December 2008 16:18
To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [opendtv] Re: News: Ditch Your TV
Craig Birkmaier wrote:
> So this explains why virtually every non-U.S. manufacturer
> of vehicles ALSO rushed to produce trucks and SUVs, mostly in
> U.S. factories?
Sure, they also cashed in on the US obsession with obesity. But the
facts are, these other companies did not stop developing efficient
vehicles. So now that the US car buyer has gotten religion, they flock
to the foreign brands in search for fuel economy.
> It is worth noting that the big three ALL produce small fuel
> efficient vehicles, and make a profit, OUTSIDE the U.S.
Well, you need to listen to the hearings on CSPAN to understand what's
going on here.
If the US govt bails out the US car companies, they want to make sure
that the taxpayers' money isn't going to go overseas, as a freebie,
unintended, foreign aid package. So the bailout will not be available
for GM or Europe, for example.
> The U.S. manufacturers HAVE tried to sell smaller, fuel
> efficient cars in the U.S., but the buying public mostly
> considered them to be junk when compared to a Honda Civic or
> Toyota Corolla.
Yup. That's what I said. They half-ass tried and they essentially gave
up. Selling the overweight hogs was so easy, and such a cash cow.
Bert
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