Category: Cars and Politics

Big Three Back Off Bigger Loan Program

Posted by: David Kiley on September 10

Officials of Ford and General Motors confirmed a report in The Detroit News that industry lobbyists have backed off the $50 billion in loans it sought over three years to…

GM Oil Ad A Non-Controversy Run Amok

Posted by: David Kiley on June 18

Talk about a non story. Both Automotive News [see story below in the extended blog space] and some of the auto blogs have reported that General Motors was “breaking” with…

Chrysler’s Jim Press And Toyota Differ on Prius Narrative

Posted by: David Kiley on April 02

Did former Toyota executive James Press rat out his old company? Or was he just pointing out how smart the Japanese were to back gas-electric hybrid technology, which has…

Take 2: Car Country Looms Large Against Obama and For Clinton

Posted by: David Kiley on February 11

If you want to see just how incompetent politicians can be, come to Michigan. Sen. Carl Levin, Debbie Dingell (wife of powerful Democratic Congressman John Dingell)and Governor Jennifer Granholm all…

Auto Country Looms Large in Presidential Election

Posted by: David Kiley on January 29

Depending on what happens Feb 5, Michigan could really matter in this year’s Presidential election. So far, Michigan is known as one of two states—the other is Florida—which attempted…

New Eco Cars Get Comparisons to…”Private Jets?

Posted by: David Kiley on January 09

Chrysler Eco-Voyager concept car to be shown next week at the North American International Auto Show is an electric car with a range of 300 miles. It emits only…

Stalled Energy Bill May Be A Good Thing

Posted by: David Kiley on December 07

The U.S. Senate did not get enough “yes” votes to send the wide ranging energy bill that will raise fuel economy standards by 40% to the White House. While it…

The Politics of Fuel Economy

Posted by: David Welch on November 30

With Congress getting ready to head off for an unearned break, it looks like a compromise on fuel economy regs is near. Sure, all the car companies will have…

New CAFE Rules Need Social Pressure Behind Them

Posted by: David Kiley on November 28

The Congress is close to getting together on legislation to bring the fuel economy standards for cars and trucks to 35 mpg by 2020. We are still waiting for the…

Toyota’s Jekyll and Hyde routine

Posted by: David Welch on October 05

Toyota’s green image took another shot today when the Union of Concerned Scientists blasted the company in a press release for opposing a Senate energy bill that would boost…

No Blind Ambition for Hybrids.

Posted by: David Kiley on October 03

This from the AP today: BALTIMORE - Gas-electric hybrid vehicles, the status symbol for the environmentally conscientious, are coming under attack from a constituency that doesn’t drive: the blind….

VW Headed for Nation’s Capitol

Posted by: David Kiley on September 04

Since last I blogged, it has come to be known that Volkswagen of America on Thursday is expected to announce a move of its American headquarters from Auburn Hills, MI…

Chinese Copy BMW and Mercedes

Posted by: Gail Edmondson on August 31

Chinese automaker Shuanghuan is already selling cars that look uncannily like the BMW X5 SUV and the Mercedes Smart in China. But dare they unveil the two knockoffs at…

Jaguars By Tata Has a Nice Ring

Posted by: David Kiley on August 01

The suitors are cued up kicking the tires on Jaguar and Land Rover, which Ford is trying to sell. The most intriguing candidates mentioned by insiders are India’s leading…

A New Lowe

Posted by: David Welch on July 12

Every so often I get a press release in my inbox that makes me wonder why the P.R. people even bothered. Here’s one that’s just laughable. Actor Rob Lowe…

Diesel gets a witness

Posted by: David Welch on July 05

Finally, someone is stepping forward to make the case for diesel. I was watching MSNBC last week and saw a Mercedes ad boasting that its new Blue Tec diesel…

SUV Tax Break For Accountants and Realtors Going South—Hopefully

Posted by: David Kiley on July 02

I recall a few years ago getting a phone call from a Realtor friend of mine. She said she was going to buy an SUV to take advantage of the…

The Irony of Fuel Economy Legislation

Posted by: David Welch on June 23

To the American car buyer, I say prepare to downsize your vehicles or pay more for them. Late Thursday, the Senate approved a bill that would require auto makers…

Auto Industry’s word of the year: “Transformational”

Posted by: David Kiley on June 22

Detroit’s Big Three have been saying for months that this year’s contract talks with the UAW have to be “transformational.” They can’t afford to have mere incremental cost reductions in…

The Fuel Economy Debate Will Get Silly Before Its Over

Posted by: David Kiley on June 14

I know the debate over fuel economy, especially as it relates to the legislation currently being jawboned in Congress, is complicated. But consider a few facts that will illuminate some…

The Anti-Detroit Bias

Posted by: David Welch on June 12

The hecklers are out. Last week, I gave General Motors a well-deserves lashing for its lame response to the company’s own mediocre (and that’s being generous) performance in the…

More Argument For Permanently Higher Gas Prices in the U.S.

Posted by: David Kiley on June 01

As comments on this blog attest, I have been taking a beating for pointing out that gas prices need to go higher yet in order to get American consumers to…

Gas Prices High. But Not High Enough.

Posted by: David Kiley on May 17

The average price of a gallon of gas is now above $3.00 per gallon. That’s affecting some car-buyers’ choices, as it has done in the past two years when gas…

With Friends Like Bill O’Reilly, Detroit Doesn’t Need Enemies

Posted by: David Kiley on March 15

In his March 14th broadcast, Fox News bloviator Bill O’Reilly aptly criticized UAW President Ron Gettelfinger for testifying before Congress that higher fuel economy regulations for automobiles would result…

GM Turns To Insanity Hannity And Chrysler Goes To Church. Maybe Detroit Really Is Dying.

Posted by: David Kiley on October 02

Sean Hannity is not just a loud-mouthed blow-hard. He’s evil. And I don’t say that lightly. I don’t think he’s evil because I disagree with him about almost everything….

New U.S. plant for Honda?

Posted by: Ian Rowley on May 15

At at time when U.S. auto makers are trimming back production, Honda looks set to build another North American plant. According to today’s Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japan’s leading business daily,…

Good news for China’s auto industry last month..

Posted by: Dexter Roberts on February 19

Some impressive numbers out for January auto production and sales in China, good news for an industry that has been and still faces challenges, including overcapacity and falling prices….

GM execs: No pay cuts for me

Posted by: David Welch on January 13

When Jerome York—whose boss, billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, owns 7.8% of General Motors—made his heavily-anticipated speech on Jan. 10 suggesting how GM could turn things around, he made a few…

Can Saab survive?

Posted by: David Welch on January 11

There is little doubt that the future of Swedish carmaker Saab AB is in question. In addition to the fact that its sales are a paltry 130,000 or so a…

“Buy American Is The Last Reason To Buy GM”

Posted by: David Kiley on January 10

General Motors sales and marketing chief Mark LaNeve says he has considered an ad that would say “Buy American” is the last reason you should buy a GM car. LaNeve,…

General Motors’ China success

Posted by: Dexter Roberts on January 08

Given how grim things are looking for General Motors at home, it’s no surprise that the company is touting what was a very successful last year here in China….

Ford’s Swipe At Toyota Sounds “Desperate”

Posted by: David Kiley on January 05

Ford Motor Co. President of the Americas Mark Fields (pictured above)gave a speech at The Greater Los Angeles Auto Show on Jan 4 in which he laid out some…