Deweyp

Auto Sector: Flow Through Industry Assistance

The things you mention in a flow through system are well in place now and really do not need to be designed or redesigned. The $s needed by tier 1 are primarily for continued operations and would not be hoarded as suggested. Tiers 2-4 are only in trouble because of cash problems at tier 1.

The Current Stagnation of Natural Gas Vehicles in America

Well written and researched. I do see an additional problem and that is price. During the bubble years through early 2008, the price of NG jumped to over $9. This was done without an appreciable increase in demand. If we go to NGVs in any volume at all, the gas company's will undoubtably run the price to that level and higher. With proper controls on price increases NGVs would truly be an answer to US energy problems, at least until fuel cells are perfected. One other reason conversion kits are not available is the tax collecting system does not lend itself to NG well because it is readily available in most homes, just like electricity. States are already scrambling to devise a method of collecting their share when EVs become popular. We will need some well thought out laws to regulate NG and El prices and taxes before either will be viable..

Is a Car Produced in Alabama Really an Import?

In addition to the very accurate list Mister Jimmy put forth, there is the tooling built in outside shops. Last I heard the labor costs involved in assembling an auto were less than 10% of the total cost. Design and tooling constitute much more. States where foreign carmakers built assembly plants paid hundreds of millions of taxpayer money for each plant to be built there. In return the hourly wage and benefits were much lower than at union shops.
When foreign carmakers costs increase to the level of domestic carmakers, they will close it down and go somewhere else where they are given even more millions to build a new plant.

Auto Stocks: Value Investments Gone Wrong?

By necessity the restrictive, destructive union rules are slowly being reduced, but not fast enough to prevent the wholesale damage to the big three. Elroy hit the nail on the head, but the protectionism involved extends to currency manipulation, which I believe is the biggest piece of the pie, but at the expense of the Japanese citizens, because they pay considerable more for the products imported to their nation than Americans do. They can do this and give their auto and other industries a huge leg up, mainly because the citizens of Japan have such a high savings rate. The big three have historically provided a higher standard of living than most other industries, and they should be applauded for that, except that, with world competition as strong as it is now, it has no where to go. The American auto industry is far more important than the jobs that are provided to our labor force, although that is important. As history can verify, the auto industry has been a key player in our national defense and will continue to be, if it remains strong. Allowing that industry to go away, as some would suggest, is not the smartest thing to do. We should support it (although with much oversight) and insure it continues to be a strong segment of our manufacturing base.

Chrysler: Trying to Stake Its Claim in Electric Cars

I here that a battery company, A123, is applying to incorporate this week and that they will likely be the supplier for the GM Volt. This is good news because they are an American company, providing American jobs and with sufficient volume could easily keep the price of the battery pack below that of the offshore companies. I live for the day when paulk8756 has something constructive, accurate and positive to say about the American auto industry.