September 2008 Archives
Today here in Detroit marks the 100th anniversary of GM being in business...congratulations, there's not many companies, big OR small, that can make that claim. Lehman Brothers could, until Sunday, and Merrill Lynch only missed it by about ten years, but that's another story.
Here's an interesting article about the "perfect storm" the domestic three are facing...
Thanks to Automotive News for the following info:
STUDY: USED TRUCK PRICES REBOUND: Falling gasoline prices helped boost wholesale prices of large used trucks in August, NADA AuctionNet data show. Average August wholesale prices of used full-sized pickups rose 7.7 percent -- about $900 -- from June 30, when gasoline prices peaked, according to AuctionNet. From Jan. 1 to Aug. 31, prices of big used pickups declined 14.5 percent. Similarly, August auction prices of large SUVs rose 8.9 percent -- about $1,300-- from June 30, but were down 11.3 percent for the year.
Automotive News, September 9, 2008
I can't say it any better than this.....this whole subject of loans might provoke a whole range of reactions.
Get 'yer backgound here!
http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/04/news/economy/automakers_Congress/index.htm?postversion=2008090412
Interesting article from USAToday here, about truck sales popping up a little bit.
Looks like when gas dropped $.20 per gallon, interest in trucks spiked up. Further, I wonder, month by month, what the pent-up demand is from the real users of trucks like plumbers and contractors (not like Suburban-Suburban-Moms, who don't really need that big of a rig...), who even though they need new trucks, have just held off out a general sense of dread of high prices. Maybe that pent-up demand is starting to show in the market.
Courtesy of USAToday....
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2008-09-03-august-auto-sales_N.htm
This article, although the author tried to "dumb it down" for readers like me, is a bit technical, but it does address the issue of "full life cycle" costs of an electric car vs. a gas-powered car.
Excellent issue culled from Winding Road, and excellent online enthusiast magazine. They got it from Salon.com. Thanks to them for this link....
http://www.salon.com/env/ask_pablo/2008/08/25/electric_cars/index.html
Here's a very interesting spin on Chrysler from Mr. Jim Press. It of course hurts to be smaller company, but better a smaller profitable company than a larger one with no money....
Courtesy of Bloomberg....
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=atkuIh3p3uws
This video has two spins on it. First, if it's just "saving money" you want, who would be nutty enough to spend an addtional $3000.00 on batteries to move your MPG from 50 to 100 in the backyard version of souping up your Prius? Do the numbers on that and how many years would it take you to recapture that investment?
Second, who'd be even nuttier to spend an additional $21,000.00 to move to lithium ion batteries like the guy in Boulder is suggesting?
See the video...
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2008/09/02/wilkinson.extreme.hybrid.kusa
...but, the second take is, good 'ol American Ingenuity is already taking hold in the Hybrid world!
:-)
