Ford (like Hillary) can't even boast about being #2

04.01.2008

Thought I'd take just a brief time out from post-caucus mania to highlight this tidbit from today's WaPo "Business" section:

Ford was knocked from the No. 2 position in the U.S. auto market, outmaneuvered by Toyota's surging sales of small cars and gas-electric hybrids, according to year-end figures released yesterday.

Ford had been No. 2 for 75 years, behind GM (which, incidentally, saw its sales fall 6 percent last year). But as the Post notes:

U.S. automakers are under stiff pressure as the market shifts to more-fuel-efficient vehicles. Japanese companies gained market share in 2007 with improved sales of subcompacts like the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris and gas-electric hybrids such as the Toyota Prius, which had sales growth of 69 percent.

For the year, Toyota's sales climbed 3.1 percent compared with 2006. Honda's sales grew 2.8 percent.

"The domestics over the past year have been late to the party--all the domestics--with fuel-efficient vehicles," said Mark Rikess, chief exectuive of the Rikess Group, an automotive consulting firm in Burbank, Califor. "You see market share improving for Toyota and Honda, and it's primarily among the fuel-efficient vehicles that they have marketed for years and are therefore at the top of the consideration list."

I'm sorry, but it so far past time for Detroit to start seriously focusing American ingenuity on producing the next generation of fuel-efficient vehicles. Discovering a way to slash not just this nation's but the entire world's dependence on oil would be a feat worthy of several dozen Nobel Prizes. Even right-wing nutters who hate all that global-warming talk should be scrambling to kick America's oil habit, considering the close correlation between oil exporting nations and unsavory political regimes. What could be better for our national security than to stop being held economic hostage by all those fabulous OPEC nations (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Indonesia, Algeria, Libya...) not to mention Russia?

Sure, Americans love our cars. We like big cars. We like fast cars. But by not obsessing day and night about finding a better way to make those cars go--a way that doesn't dramatically compromise our national security--we look like a bunch of suckers.

--Michelle Cottle

Posted: Friday, January 04, 2008 9:31 AM with 3 comment(s)

Comments

You must be logged-in to comment.

Not a subscriber? Click here to get a digital or print and digital subscription to The New Republic!

teplukhin2you said:

Here's where Obama could really shine: propose a grand bargain under which the federal govt takes away the health care obligation albatross from Detroit's Big Three, in return for which they agree to vastly higher CAFE standards-- to be achieved by hybrids, whose buyers would receive an even higher tax refund than at present.

Win-win-win. Anyway, get out front on this before Richard Milhouse McCain does.

January 4, 2008 11:18 AM

cleavet said:

It's not just gas mileage. Toyota vehicles are much more soundly made than those from the Big 3.

By the way, a much easier way to reduce dependence on oil would be to concentrate on improving MPG at the bottom of the curve than at the top. You save more gas by switching from a 15 MPG vehicle to an 18 MPG vehicle than you would if went from 50 MPG to 100 MPG. Take a look at http://tinyurl.com/2j6u9b.

January 4, 2008 1:17 PM

CRS9TNR said:

Building cars is a little more complicated than throwing together a few paragraphs for a Blog.

Yes Toyota was first to market with a Prius Hybrid. Yes it is substantial, I wish Detroit was there first.

But if Toyota is so technically capable, why can't they put pictures of their Board of Directors on their Website like GM does? Maybe because they don't understand the Internet? Maybe because they don't want to highlight their all Japanese, All Male Executive ranks.

And if they care so much about their people, why won't they accpet the United Autoworkers Union? Because they focus on building cars. Maybe Miss Cottle will recommend that Detroit ditch the unions.

It's really hard, and costs a lot of money to get 1 MPG better. A revolutionary change like Hybrids is a gamble. Al Gore's USCar didn't do much to help.

And while it's nice that you noticed Toyota passed Ford, be a little careful. Ford did a lot of great things for this country, and we really won't be that happy when they go out of business.

January 5, 2008 12:12 AM