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Latest Comments60 Comments
Are Hybrid Vehicles Worth the Price?
For instance, the Ford Escape Hybrid has a combined output of 196hp from its I-4 engine and electrical motor. The regular I-4 Escape has 171hp.
Are Hybrid Vehicles Worth the Price?
If it fails within the warranty period, the cost of replacement is FREE.
That is assuming you didn't do anything stupid to void the warranty, like crash the car, tamper with the hybrid system, etc.
Failure of the battery pack in the 2nd-generation Prius within warranty terms is virtually unheard-of.
Will GM's Volt Change History?
Not sure how a $40,000 volt is going to compete against a $30,000 PHEV Prius with similar capabilities.
Will GM's Volt Change History?
The base price for the Prius is $22,000, of which $3000 is the cost of the current Nickel-Metal-Hydride battery.
Take out the NiMH battery and put in the $10,000 Lion battery, you end up with a $30,000 PHEV Prius.
You need to check your math, amigo.
Will GM's Volt Change History?
Toyota will be introducing a later version of its 3rd Generation Prius at around the same time, also to be powered by a Lion battery pack which can also give the Prius a 40-mile pure-electric range, just like the Volt. And it is expected to cost about $30,000. That's $10,000 less than the Volt.
When the average head of household is given a choice between the two cars with similar capability but $10,000 difference in price, it makes for a HUGE monkey wrench in GM's plans.
That's what happens when you give your rival a 10-year head-start in developing HEV/PHEV technology. :-P
Will GM's Volt Change History?
Toyota will be introducing a later version of its 3rd Generation Prius at around the same time, also to be powered by a Lion battery pack which can also give the Prius a 40-mile pure-electric range, just like the Volt. And it is expected to cost about $30,000. That's $10,000 less than the Volt.
When the average head of household is given a choice between the two cars with similar capability but $10,000 difference in price, it makes for a HUGE monkey wrench in GM's plans.
That's what happens when you give your rival a 10-year head-start in developing HEV/PHEV technology. :-P
Brand Names: Important, But Not Key to Investment Decisions
This year it's history repeating itself-- People buying Toyota Corollas that can get 30mpg COMBINED (not just highway as GM and Ford have been advertising) because of $4/gallon gas.
Ford and GM needs to realize that not only do they need to build cars that are put together well, they also need to make cars that are MORE FUEL EFFICIENT than the Japanese if they want to regain market share in North America.
The situation in Europe for Ford is not applicable here in North America. Ford is doing well in Europe because they have less-stringent emissions laws, which means Ford's fuel-efficient diesel cars are a big hit there. They can NEVER sell those diesels as-is here, because they don't meet the EPA's Tier2 emissions standards.
The situation for GM in China is also NOT applicable for the North American market-- GM is doing well in China because gas is still cheap there at $2 a gallon, and the noveau-riche Chinese middle class don't mind buying gas-guzzlers because of that.
Until one of the Big Three can produce a 50mpg car that is street-legal in the U.S. with comparable reliability and cost about the same as the Toyota Prius, they are not going to gain back market share in the era of $4/gallon gas.
(Don't bother mentioning the Chevy Volt. Sucker is going to cost $40,000 and by the time it comes out Toyota will have its 3rd-gen PHEV Prius with similar 40-mile-electric capability in the showrooms for $30,000.)
Chrysler's Rebadging Plan: Strategic Blunder for Nissan?
Agreed. Toyota has left the door open for Chrysler to introduce a hybrid minivan for the past 5 years. And Chrysler has not taken advantage of it!
The window of opportunity is closing fast. Toyota has been selling their Estima Hybrid minivan in Japan for years, and in the next couple years they plan to bring it to the U.S. as the Sienna Hybrid.
The opportunity is there.. It's just Chrysler is doing everything they can to flub it!
The Electric Car Battery Battle
Objectivity is right. Imagine the amount of power needed to compress that air to 4500PSI. When you buy a fillup of that air at 4500PSI, you are paying for the gasoline to run the compressor to compress that air to 4500PSI. Sorry air-car fans, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
Detroit: Tow Ridiculous
I don't see the point of your complaint. The current market conditions is awesome for you country folks who need to buy SUVs-- The carmakers are offering them with 0% financing or incentives up to $6000. It's a great time to buy an SUV if you actually need one.
Fact is 79% of the U.S. population lives in urban areas according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Most of those folks don't need to haul bushels of crop or tow trailers with livestock, and with fuel prices being what they are, it is only natural that they are migrating to 4-cylinder cars. U.S. carmakers have encountered this situation before in the 1970s, apparently they never studied history so now they are doomed to repeat it.
Market forces at work.
Is One Automaker Default Almost a Sure Thing?
Considering that in the past 10 years Detroit spent the same amount on R&D as the 10-year Apollo Program, you would expect them to put out revolutionary things!
I remain unimpressed.
Detroit: Tow Ridiculous
I say leave Detroit to their devices and let market forces determine their fate.
Is One Automaker Default Almost a Sure Thing?
To put it in perspective, the Apollo program cost the U.S. government $20 billion over a period of 10 years, and it put men on the moon and spurred revolutionary technologies such as integrated circuit miniaturization and fly-by-wire controls.
Even after adjusting for inflation, $19 billion per year for 10 years from the Big Three would have been equal to the the expenditure of the Apollo program. What does the Big Three have to show for it for the past 10 years (1998-2008)?
Auto Sales Are Cause for Optimism
Still, what people DID overbuy when it comes to cars is size.. Look at how so many are frantically looking to unload their superhuge gas-guzzling SUVs right now. :-)
How GM Plans to Muddle Through
Unfortunately, EMD is no longer part of GM. It got sold off in 2005. In its last years under GM management, EMD seems to be heading downhill too-- They were getting their butts kicked by General Electric's Dash-9s, AC4400CWs and the Gevos.
John Smyth:
Keep in mind in 2010 Toyota will be releasing its plug-in 3rd-generation Prius with the same Lithium Ion technology as the GM Volt, also with a 40-mile pure-electric range. AND, the 3rd-gen PHEV Prius will be selling for about $30,000 compared to $40,000 for the Volt. Things don't look good.
I'm not buying an GM stock until I see it becomes positive-equity (i.e. it owes less than what the stock float is worth), and it gets 2 consecutive profitable quarters.