Sometimes companies have to look to the future and determine what they think the customers will want or NEED, even if it is different from what the customers want at the current moment.
We have had to move away from buying from the US automakers because they were not making the cars that we wanted. We saw the writing on the wall a number of years ago and went for two hybrids, one 2001 Honda and one 2006 Toyota. We do have one vehicle we really like that came from a US automaker, but they will no longer support it (1997 Chevy S10E)
The Big 3 US Automakers took a bunch of Money from the US automakers in the 90's to help develop technology for a new direction in the automobile industry. They all had programs that would meet lower emission and higher MPG standards. ...but they all decided to not carry them forward.
The money was well spent. The technology development was succesful. ...and Toyota is the one that is benefiting from it now...
GM in particular had a very succesful program that created a multiple viable models. (read "The Car That Could") In fact they purchased the technology rights.... and then sold them to Texaco who then became Chevron, who then sued Toyota who had already improved on the technology. The suit was settled out of court and the details were not made public. After some sluething some details were found...
http://www.ovonic.com/PDFs/Financial...nt_7july04.pdf
...and while the US Automakers continue to ask for handouts and conitnue to make products that their customers can no longer afford, Toyota is ramping up to make the vehicles of the future.
OH... .and the US automakers have been taking more tax-payer money in the last few years to again research and develop the same technology that has already been developed, but which Chevron will not license.
Sorry, but we have already given the US Automakers enough handouts. I would be against any further handouts.
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Greg in Austin
2008 Ford 6.0PSD EB/E-PH SMB 4X4 Aluminess f/r bumpers (13.5mpg avg, 15mpg hwy) 52k miles [Texas McBeast]
2006 Toyota Prius (48 to 68 mpg) 120k miles [Penelope]
2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (15 to 18 mpg) [Johnnie]
2012 Mitsubishi MiEV (no gas required) ($.50/day in electricity) [Evie]
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