Showing posts with label auto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label auto. Show all posts
Monday, January 12, 2009
you tell 'em, Cox(smith)
Mike Cox is a politician. hes also a smart guy. hes also a guy i have voted against and in many ways am not a fan of. which may just go to show how much Michigan is united behind the Big Three. a couple weeks ago when i was at home every one there realized how devastating the fallout would be if the domestic auto industry collapsed. probably because they have a front row seat or are actually participating. well Mike Cox has authored a little opinion piece that the Post published today. you can feel the contempt. the frustration leaps off of the page and spits in your face. well, the Senate's face. it just goes to show you how much this really means when a politician holding one of the highest offices in Michigan goes out of his way to give the finger to the US Senate just so that they might see the light. so that they might see that the US auto industry is making the best cars out there. the nation may not think much of Detroit and Michigan, but i do. and i think much more highly of Mike Cox after reading this.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
UAW wake up call
Dick Dauch, chairman and CEO of American Axle Mfg said that he can take his production elsewhere if the union is unwilling to make a deal. in the Free Press article on this there are all sorts of union sympathizers saying that the union needs to hang in because AAM will have to cave soon because GM is turning the screws.
well, be careful, UAW, or you may just find out that Dick's bite is as bad as his bark.
do you think he relishes puting people out of work? of course not. but the reality is that he in large part built this company and he is not going to let overpriced union labor ruin his company. you have to look at the reality that in a state with 7% plus unemployment that he can easily go out and find non union guys who would jump at the chance to work at $14/hour. and thats keeping jobs right there in Detroit. just think of the wages that he could get in Mexico or Asia.
the reality is this: the UAW cant call the shots anymore. whether you like it or not you have to face the fact that we live in global economy, and no matter how loud you shout 'BUY AMERICAN!' it means nothing. GM, Ford, and Chrysler all have to compete with VW, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and soon Tata and Mahindra. there is no changing that.
US companies theoretically have the advantage of no or minimal shipping costs. but that is squandered on overpriced union labor making a frequently inferior product the same price or more expensive. i must admit that US auto companies have stepped it up recently, especially GM, but the fact is their reputation is still stuck with the late 90s stigma. unfortunately if US companies dont continue to compete making affordable and high quality cars there will be no more 'American' brands.
to help save the industry and your jobs and future American jobs and the economy, you need to take some cuts. if you want the UAW to be relevant, sit down to a real negotiation. you have to recognize that AAM and Dauch are in the power position. he can make AAM American in name only and you cant do a damn thing about it. then that will be one more part in your 'American' cars that will come from south of the border or across the seas.
well, be careful, UAW, or you may just find out that Dick's bite is as bad as his bark.
do you think he relishes puting people out of work? of course not. but the reality is that he in large part built this company and he is not going to let overpriced union labor ruin his company. you have to look at the reality that in a state with 7% plus unemployment that he can easily go out and find non union guys who would jump at the chance to work at $14/hour. and thats keeping jobs right there in Detroit. just think of the wages that he could get in Mexico or Asia.
the reality is this: the UAW cant call the shots anymore. whether you like it or not you have to face the fact that we live in global economy, and no matter how loud you shout 'BUY AMERICAN!' it means nothing. GM, Ford, and Chrysler all have to compete with VW, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and soon Tata and Mahindra. there is no changing that.
US companies theoretically have the advantage of no or minimal shipping costs. but that is squandered on overpriced union labor making a frequently inferior product the same price or more expensive. i must admit that US auto companies have stepped it up recently, especially GM, but the fact is their reputation is still stuck with the late 90s stigma. unfortunately if US companies dont continue to compete making affordable and high quality cars there will be no more 'American' brands.
to help save the industry and your jobs and future American jobs and the economy, you need to take some cuts. if you want the UAW to be relevant, sit down to a real negotiation. you have to recognize that AAM and Dauch are in the power position. he can make AAM American in name only and you cant do a damn thing about it. then that will be one more part in your 'American' cars that will come from south of the border or across the seas.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
detroit diesel
really the lack there of. for some reason the big 3 are struggling with bringing passenger diesels to the market, relegating them to trucks and heavy vehicles. diesel vehicles are a huge portion of the European car market. granted, diesel prices are a bit lower in Europe than in North America, but the benefits are easy to see, even at 10% up charge from the old world.
VW has diesel engines in Jettas and Rabbits that get 40+ mpg. 'nuf said. not to mention the longer life of diesel power plants, the crazy high resale of diesels, and now the ability to meet emisions standards without a huge cost. i wanted one when i bought my new car, but even VW didnt have any available in my price range. and the domestic brands claim there isnt a market.
the market doesnt exist because you dont sell any. the only thing with a US badge you can get with a diesel is a truck. all this while they market and sell diesels like gasoline engines on the other side of the Atlantic. GM is going to bring its Opel Astra to the US under the Saturn badge, which is a great move, and may allow GM to compete more effectively against a number of popular small cars from foreign auto makers, a market in which GM is barely a presence in North America. the stupid thing is that they are not bringing with it the popular turbo diesel option. on that puts out equivalent horse power(~150), more torque, and nearly twice the fuel economy as its gasoline counterpart.
some claim that diesel is dirty, but with emissions standards inexpensively within reach, thats just nonsense. some say that they are loud, but any VW diesel owner can tell you thats not an issue with passenger vehicles. sure, they sound different, but not any louder. the only other barrier that the new world faces is population centers in colder climates that can be rough on diesels, making it difficult to start them. but guess what, people have been driving diesel trucks for decades in the north, and it takes a fairly inexpensive block heater to make it completely viable in any climate.
the only legitimate challenge that i see is that many urban gas stations dont have a diesel pump. but most stations near freeways have them, plus with 40+mpg economy, who needs to worry about passing a couple of stations by before filling up
ill leave the puns to the News.
VW has diesel engines in Jettas and Rabbits that get 40+ mpg. 'nuf said. not to mention the longer life of diesel power plants, the crazy high resale of diesels, and now the ability to meet emisions standards without a huge cost. i wanted one when i bought my new car, but even VW didnt have any available in my price range. and the domestic brands claim there isnt a market.
the market doesnt exist because you dont sell any. the only thing with a US badge you can get with a diesel is a truck. all this while they market and sell diesels like gasoline engines on the other side of the Atlantic. GM is going to bring its Opel Astra to the US under the Saturn badge, which is a great move, and may allow GM to compete more effectively against a number of popular small cars from foreign auto makers, a market in which GM is barely a presence in North America. the stupid thing is that they are not bringing with it the popular turbo diesel option. on that puts out equivalent horse power(~150), more torque, and nearly twice the fuel economy as its gasoline counterpart.
some claim that diesel is dirty, but with emissions standards inexpensively within reach, thats just nonsense. some say that they are loud, but any VW diesel owner can tell you thats not an issue with passenger vehicles. sure, they sound different, but not any louder. the only other barrier that the new world faces is population centers in colder climates that can be rough on diesels, making it difficult to start them. but guess what, people have been driving diesel trucks for decades in the north, and it takes a fairly inexpensive block heater to make it completely viable in any climate.
the only legitimate challenge that i see is that many urban gas stations dont have a diesel pump. but most stations near freeways have them, plus with 40+mpg economy, who needs to worry about passing a couple of stations by before filling up
ill leave the puns to the News.
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