Bailout Watch 45: Automotive News Has a Plan!
It’s shocking to think that The Big 2.8 is lobbying hard and fast for $50b worth of low-interest federal loans without setting forth a coherent plan for what they’d do with the money. (Never mind honestly explaining why they need the “retooling loans” when the transplants don’t.) As much as nature abohors a vacum, automotive journalists can’t stand a dangling modifier. So, once more into the breach dear Horatio! OK, Automotive News‘ [AN, sub] Richard Truett is no Mark Phelan. But Truett’s plan– “How Detroit 3 could put federal loans to work”– lacks a certain something… Common sense? Practicality? Commerciality? We report, you deride. “If the Detroit 3 aim for a payoff within the next five years or so [Ed: what’s the rush?], it’s possible to identify a likely wish list of projects. Here are some possible candidates, starting with General Motors.” According to Mr. T, GM should spend their share of your tax dollars to put The General’s DOA two-mode hybrid into passenger cars, get down and dirty with diesels, make that HCCI engine thing happen and launch the God damn Volt, already. For Ford, Truett recommends plug-in-izing the Escape and Mariner, getting down and dirty with diesels, speeding-up developnment of the ecoboost engine thing and building a fuel cell Edge (huh?). Chryco? Stick the two-mode hybrid into the 300 and Charger, get down and dirty with diesels, and “develop an electric car or perhaps a plug-in hybrid.”
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This guy has zero credibility with me at least since he can't even get Wagoner's testimony right. Rick did NOT call for the rules to be loosened. Rather Ricky wanted them amplified.
I like how he proposes a plug-in Mercury Mariner without ever considering the notion that there's not really any good reason for the Mariner to even exist in the first place.
Man I love this blog "launch the God damn Volt, already." The star of GM's 100th birthday party was on every channel for a launch that is maybe 2 years away. Are you telling me that with all that is on the line a beta version could not be created for limited sales and testing in lets say 14 months? And does anyone know how much it's proposed sticker price will be?