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I thought they were building these in 'Bama already but maybe that was just the Odyssey... I know a majority of them cams from Canada.
Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20130507/OEM01/130509900#ixzz2SdffugpB
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The surprise is that it's not the Forester that's being moved there.
In fact, I'm still skeptical, despite the article. I still think there's a good chance to Forester will also be built there. They sell a lot more of them here.
Trivia fact - that's a unionized plant.
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Vehicle Production Group, or VPG, stopped operations after finances dipped below the minimum required as a condition of the government loan, says former CEO John Walsh. Though about 100 staff were laid off and its offices shuttered, the company has not filed for bankruptcy reorganization.
VPG, of Allen Park, Mich., received its Energy Department loan under the same clean-energy program -- now under fire by House Republicans -- that originally committed $527 million to troubled plug-in hybrid carmaker Fisker Automotive and $535 million to solar start-up Solyndra, which has filed for bankruptcy reorganization. VPG was deemed eligible for the clean energy loan because some of its vans were to be fitted to run on compressed natural gas.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/05/08/vpg-auto-fisker-solyndra-tes- la-doe-loan/2143201/
Surprisingly, they have a backlog of orders - 2,500 vehicles are on order.
I think everyone can agree - it's not easy to run a car company especially one that is in a niche market.
It really is a limited market but is a viable one. The idea of a purpose built vehicle for the disabled market is big enough to support the company IMHO. It will take time to build the volume needed for achievement of profit.
I didn't know it had received DOE support. I guess when I think "alternative fuel", I think electric. CNG didn't cross my mind.
No they aren't very common. I think that's because they are so expensive - IIRC, most start at about $45K and they've been extensively modified - mainly lowering the floor.
There is a dealer here in town that sells the MV-1. Most that I've seen there have livery plates and are owned by assisted living facilities. They are more convenient for that sort of duty compared to a 15 passenger van or small bus. VPG was trying to reach out to the livery, assisted living, taxi and transit companies in addition to private owners.
One thing I find curious is that they don't offer the MV-1 set up with hand controls. The sales person I met said they leave that up to conversion companies. I'm going to guess it's due to liability issues.
Detroit Vehicles Outperform Imports in Quality Study (Wall St. Journal)
I wish it was divided by place of manufacture and not name plate.
Fusion on the cover photo is Mexican.
Looks like they considered 2013 models only. Besides "quality" initially, the full story of any brand and model has to also include "reliability". That will not be known for 2013 models until 2016 or 2018 or 2020 or 2022.
Domestic nameplates are creating emotional buying decisions - for them that's great because the vast majority of car sales are based on emotion.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Top 5 "Most American" Sedans for 2013
Top 6 "Most American" SUVs and Crossovers for 2013
Top 6 "Most American" Vans and Minivans for 2013
Top 5 "Most American" Convertibles for 2013
Top 7 "Most American" Coupes for 2013
Top 8 "Most American" Trucks for 2013
With a foreign carmaker such as Hyundai, Porsche or Toyota, the profits primarily go back to shareholders in their home countries.
If a carmaker assembles its vehicles in the U.S., however, the index grants it full marks in the "labor" category, as well as in the category of "inventory, capital and other expenses." Those scores reflect the wages the carmaker paid to American workers, the money it reinvested in U.S. manufacturing facilities and taxes it paid here, DuBois says."
Foreign Cars Made in America: Where Does the Money Go?
http://www.nhtsa.gov/Laws+&+Regulations/Part+583+American+Automobile+Labeling+Ac- t+%28AALA%29+Reports
"On its Web site, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration publishes the American Automobile Labeling Act (AALA) lists for model years dating back to 2007. They're organized by percentage of domestic content and alphabetically by manufacturer.
But the AALA list is puzzling right off the bat. Under its provisions, for example, the term "American" covers both U.S. and Canadian content.
The subhead? - Your Choice Starts With Your Definition"
How To Buy an American Car
Interesting side note from my first link - Professor DuBois was a VW mechanic at one time. "He anticipates the index will draw criticism from manufacturers. His response? “Show me something better.”
IMO, place of final assembly is likely the most important facet, with powertrain source also up there.
The corporate overlords who have the bleeding heart one worlders on a short leash need to be required to label the origin of all parts and assembly. There's no reason not to do so, other than deception that enables their own pay to grow. Everything in the world is not equal.
They'd all be tied at zero.
I think there was a WSJ article this week about how many bridges are being repaired with Chinese steel, Fin. Better be careful where you drive that German steel car.
Reminds me of all the hoo-hah over building the TransAlaska Pipeline - US jobs and energy independence kept getting bandied about. Yet all the pipe came from Japan.
Don't forget the Feds buckled to the WTO on Country of Origin Labeling. I don't buy any juice in the markets now. Most is mixed with apple juice from China. 80% of our juice is now foreign origin. And they cannot tell you where it came from. Thanks to the UN and their WTO.
The Panel determined that the COOL measure is a technical regulation under the TBT Agreement, and that it is inconsistent with the United States' WTO obligations.
The Arbitrator determined that the “reasonable period of time” for the United States to implement the recommendations and rulings of the DSB in these disputes is 10 months from the adoption of the Panel and Appellate Body Reports, that is, until 23 May 2013.
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds386_e.htm
The Oakland Bay Bridge rebuild is by a Chinese company with Chinese steel. You would think a state totally controlled by Democrats would look out for US workers and companies.
But legislators also need to hold accountable those responsible for the debacle, and ensure that the agency does not reprise its appalling performance on the Bay Bridge project. The new eastern span of the bridge will replace the span damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, yet safety concerns remain while the project has ballooned in cost. Caltrans put the cost of the span at $1.3 billion in 1997, but that price now stands at $6.4 billion. Bay Area motorists will cover much of that cost through higher bridge tolls, but state taxpayers are also paying part of the bill.
And the cost will almost surely continue to climb, thanks to repairs required on a new bridge section that has yet to open. News stories over the past few months have detailed a series of safety issues with the new eastern span — some of them longstanding, quietly hidden and still unaddressed. Some 32 of the large steel seismic safety bolts broke when workers tightened them in March, raising questions about the more than 1,200 steel bolts in the structure.
And who built the new Eastern Span???
The Eastern Span Was Built in China by Chinese Workers
The Chinese built the most spectacular portion of the bridge; the eastern span, consisting of a suspension bridge with a 500 foot tower and a single suspension cable one-mile long. The cable has 137 steel strands.
It seems illogical that a U. S. bridge could be constructed in China. The bridge sections were simply fabricated in China and shipped to California.
"The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was a feat of American engineering when it was built across New York's harbor in the 1960s. Now, it's being repaired with steel made in China.
Most of the steel from China now goes into building projects like bridges and buildings, sweet spots for Nucor Corp., the No. 3 U.S. steelmaker, which makes half of its steel for the construction industry."
I have a nephew at Nucor and I own some of their stock. But I also have a Chinese ETF and my wife owns some Toyota. What are you gonna do? :confuse:
A cheapo orange juice I buy actually does have origin information, IIRC. Seems to be voluntary, or when made in the developed world, a bragging point.
http://www.nhtsa.gov/Laws+&+Regulations/Part+583+American+Automobile+Labeling+Ac- t+%28AALA%29+Reports
A big white mommymobile with what looks like lots of gold accents...hold me back, I can't resist!
PS
I think they focus on the engine, transmission and final assembly locations.
Seems like the common demominator in all of this is the UAW. For the transplants which are all non-unionized, they are increasing production in the US and their domestic content is rising. The highest domestic content cars are largely foreign-nameplate.
OTOH, the D3 domestic content is declining. Yet both sets of companies can use US labor and US laws. Two of the D3 even got cash infusions from the Government. Yet they are slowly moving production out of the country. The UAW and their militant labor behaviors are a boat anchor and the D3 companies all know it.