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Post by marcus on Sept 14, 2011 18:59:23 GMT -5
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Post by bo862 on Sept 15, 2011 7:42:45 GMT -5
I’m glad someone is attempting to stand up for American industry, but this article is another case that shows our political system is broken and unable to adapt to changing world economic environments mainly from china. China has used this strategy of requiring anyone doing business in china to have a Chinese company as a partner for over 50 years. This automatically gives any technology built there to the company. How this is a failure on our governments part is that they were aware of this before we began trading with them. Instead of adapting and finding ways around it they do nothing and allow our companies to give Chinese companies free R&D. This is not just an issue of batteries; it is about giving away technological and economic advantages in a competitive market. Why has this not been an issue for all U.S. technologies since we have been trading with them? This also shows the ignorance of our elected officials. The original full letter by the senator is evidence of this. Read it here. stabenow.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=448 Just one more thing I want to point out. In her last paragraph she states “We must demand that China does not engage in action which amounts to the theft of American-made technologies. If China refuses, I urge to you to take appropriate WTO action to stop this outrage.” Where was the “outrage” when jobs were being stolen! |
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Post by bo862 on Sept 15, 2011 7:47:45 GMT -5
This is also strange timing with this article that just came out today. www.usatoday.com/money/autos/story/2011-09-14/china-made-car-going-on-sale-in-us/50408790/1 All-electric Coda: First Chinese-made car comes to U.S.LOS ANGELES – After years of anticipation, the first Chinese-built car is finally being offered for sale in the U.S. But far from being the vanguard of an invasion of cheap Chinese cars that U.S. automakers once feared, the Coda sedan, as the model is being called, is a pricey niche model: a $44,900 all-electric sedan. And it's not entirely Chinese. The battery is made in China by a joint venture of which Los Angeles-based Coda has a 40% stake. The body is made at a contract builder in China. But the car was largely engineered in the U.S., and some of its electronics are American-made. Plus, the battery is attached to the body in Benicia, Calif. Coda executives aren't shy about the car's origins. "This will be the first Chinese car in the U.S.," Coda CEO Philip Murtaugh declared as he opened Coda's sales center at a shopping mall in Los Angeles' tony Century City last week. Rather than looking like a high-tech wonder, the Coda is a plain sedan that is priced almost $5,000 more than the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric and about $9,700 more than the all-electric Nissan Leaf. All-electric vehicles are eligible for federal tax credits up to $7,500, which reduce their cost a bit. But Coda has a longer range than its two better-known competitors. Test drivers report going more than 100 miles between charges in the Coda, including climbing hills and cruising freeways at more than 70 miles per hour. Murtaugh says range will be the edge that allows the Coda to compete against better-known, lower-priced brands. While lithium-ion batteries have become somewhat of an electric-car mainstay, Coda uses a different chemistry — lithium iron phosphate. Some 728 cells are built into the chassis. Coda is the exception in a Chinese auto industry that explored coming to the U.S. but never made the move. Demand in China, one of the world's fastest-growing auto markets, has been so vibrant that there was no need. And Chinese automakers have had trouble reaching the quality levels demanded by U.S. consumers, analysts say. Even now, "All Chinese automakers need improvements in vehicles and design," says Tim Dunne, director of global auto operations for J.D. Power and Associates, who was stationed in China for 14 years. Chinese auto exports are increasing, but mostly to other emerging nations. Alysha Webb, a former Automotive News correspondent in China who now writes a Chinese car blog, says she's not sure American car buyers will be "comfortable" buying Chinese. "I think it is going to be a big issue." |
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Post by marcus on Sept 15, 2011 15:45:07 GMT -5
Good stuff bo
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