Gm's Volt: Made In China?

[hill]

110 years ago our Montana home was built. There was no trade deficit. No one used fossel fuel like there was no tomorrow, and it was what it was. As we return to a limited fossel fuel world economy, we will carry on, with or without GM's and others products, just like we did before. It aint the black plague we're facing ... it will be hard, but wah wah wah poor deficit, & wah wah wah poor GM will go thru the amorphics just like the rest of us. Worry about providing a product that the consumer wants & the public will beat in the door to have it. BTW malorn you never had the nearve to state how you'd "level the playing field" ... I'm gussing you simply missed that, among all the obfuscation.

[malorn]

Originally Posted by hill

110 years ago our Montan home was built. There was no trade deficit. No one used fossel fuel like there was no tomorrow, and it was what it was. As we return to a limited fossel fuel world economy, we will carry on, with or without GM's and others products, just like we did before. It aint the black plague we're facing ... it will be hard, but wah wah wah poor deficit, & wah wah wah poor GM will go thru the amorphics just like the rest of us. Worry about providing a product that the consumer wants & the public will beat in the door to have it. BTW malorn you never had the nearve to state how you'd "level the playing field" ... I'm gussing you simply missed that, among all the obfuscation.

On point one the wealth is disappearing at over $2 billion a day. Will life go on, of course it will, it just will be much different for us as Americans.

On point two, I would make all trade agreements absolutely reciprocal. If country A had a 20% tariff on goods then the US would institute a 20% tariff on all of country A's goods and services. If country B decided to artificially manipulate itsw currency to make its goods more attractive a duty would be placed on that country's goods until the manipulation stopped.

[C.RICKEY HIROSE]

Originally Posted by malorn

So are you telling me that GM, Ford and Chrysler have been suffering in the market because they are not building a Prius(6.9% of toyota's US sales total), or because of customer perceptions because they don't build a Prius?

You said, 6.9%...wait and see when the next badge of Gen III hybrid proliferate to other Toyota models. 1 million sold now but 10 million
per year within a decade.. That's foresight, profit not measured by
each quarter return but taking the longer view...

[malorn]

Originally Posted by C.RICKEY HIROSE

You said, 6.9%...wait and see when the next badge of Gen III hybrid proliferate to other Toyota models. 1 million sold now but 10 million
per year within a decade.. That's foresight, profit not measured by
each quarter return but taking the longer view...

We will see won't we. When will the Prius be sourced and built in the United States, since this is the largest market to date?

[malorn]

Originally Posted by C.RICKEY HIROSE

You said, 6.9%...wait and see when the next badge of Gen III hybrid proliferate to other Toyota models. 1 million sold now but 10 million
per year within a decade.. That's foresight, profit not measured by
each quarter return but taking the longer view...

Trade deficit = $2.23 Billion/day, $93 million/hour, $1.55 Million/minute

Automotive trade deficit with Japan = $145 million/day, $6 million/hour, $100,000/minute

Estimated trade deficit with Toyota = $78 million/day, $3.24 million/hour, $54,000/minute

I am wondering if toyota will put that in their next "moving U.S. forward" ad?

[hill]

Originally Posted by malorn

We will see won't we. When will the Prius be sourced and built in the United States, since this is the largest market to date?

Sure! Why not? All the other toyotas were solely made overseas in the beginning. When its manufacturing gets dialed in, the factorys then get built elsewhere. You know the drill ... just like GM outsourcing to China. Build 'em cheep & stack 'em deep. How's the old expression go? "Physician heal thyself" ?? Why not fix your OWN back yard. What are YOU doing to get GM's board to not outsource? Doesn't seem like much is going on there.

"trade agreements" ... that's what you call it? A rose by any other color. Tariffs never have worked, and never will.

[malorn]

Originally Posted by hill

Sure! Why not? All the other toyotas were solely made overseas in the beginning. When its manufacturing gets dialed in, the factoriesy then get built elsewhere. You know the drill ... just like GM outsourcing to China. Build 'em cheep & stack 'em deep. How's the old expression go? "Physician heal thyself" ?? Why not fix your OWN back yard. What are YOU doing to get GM's board to not outsource? Doesn't seem like much is going on there.

"trade agreements" ... that's what you call it? A rose by any other color. Tariffs never have worked, and never will.

You continue to worry about GM's outsourcing to China, I have never seen china even listed on the content sticker of any GM product, but refuse to acknowledge Toyota contribution to the economic funk the US is in.

Hill, what would you suggest to stop the destruction of the Us manufacturing base?

[C.RICKEY HIROSE]

Originally Posted by malorn

You continue to worry about GM's outsourcing to China, I have never seen china even listed on the content sticker of any GM product, but refuse to acknowledge Toyota contribution to the economic funk the US is in.

> Let see, Toyota's contribution to the US economy, Toyota spends approx $4 billion a year, procuring parts from domestic suppliers to build cars here and abroad. Toyota employes 450.000 American workers, directly or indirectly through its factory and dealer body. Toyota gives to "American Red Cross" big chunk of of dollars. Toyota gives to US education to bring the poors from iliteracy to literacy and so they can succeed in this environment... These are the very few things that comes to my mind..

Hill, what would you suggest to stop the destruction of the Us manufacturing base?

> I suggest, All corporate America to change its accounting profit seeking from quarter to quarter and invest more development seed money.
> strategy aimed for the long, make no more now but in target to sustain
future windfall and for once listen to general public as to what they want in the near future. Not a "Brainer" really....

[malorn]

You really want to compare Toyota's employment to that of the Detroit Three in the US? Compare the philanthropy? Compare the investment? You really don't get it do you. Just remember this, every time Toyota gains one point of market share 16-18,000 US jobs evaporate. That is a fact, so you can talk about toyota's contributions to the US economy but when using "net" contributions toyota's contribution is a joke.

[Black2006]

Originally Posted by malorn

...what would you suggest to stop the destruction of the Us manufacturing base?

Hm, start by doing something with the entrenched and ineffective (and way over-compensated) executive structure, and deal with the unions.

The US car makers need to change their design and manufacturing philosophy, if they are to survive. If they continue to make products which nobody (other than farmers and trailer-dwellers) wants, then things will just get worse.

The Detroit car designs which see the light of day are the running joke of the world, and not getting better. So, open markets are not going to make the Germans or the French flock to the Cadillac dealership. Oh, and the markets ARE pretty widely open. We just don't make enough stuff, that the world wants, even with the currently bottom-dwelling US Dollar.

As to Toyota shifting production to the US, they are already investing heavily in infrastructure here. My problem is, if you look at reliability records for Camrys (not that I'd buy one:-), you'll find that US-made Camrys have a significantly lower reliability than Japan-made ones. Better than Detroit, but still worse than Japan. So, as a sane consumer, guess what I'd chose to buy?