A take a look at to Nissan’s site reveals substantially regarding the Versa. Unlike a particular Scion automobile that takes its styling cues from a toaster, the Versa is aerodynamic and reminds me with the Toyota Matrix. Offered as a four door sedan or 5 door hatchback, the Versa is expected to retail for about $12,000, the same price tag range as Scion vehicles. Like Scion, the Versa shall be pretty effectively equipped to provide motorists a value packed encounter without possessing to add on numerous thousands way more to the base sticker price as a way to attain a satisfactory and comfy driving encounter.

Along with a 1.8L I4 engine, here is what you’ll be able to expect to be included with base models:

AM/FM/CD audio process

Air Conditioning

Power side mirrors and automatic trunk release

six speed manual transmission [4 speed automatic is optional]

Split folding 60/40 seat with all the hatchback

Not a bad common gear list for the price tag. For $2,000 much more, SL versions will include aluminum alloy wheels, cruise manage, power windows/doors/locks, remote keyless entry, a souped up sound system, and a lot more.

The car will have a 102 inch wheel base which is long for a automobile of its sort. The outcome is alot more interior room, with 4 adults having ample knee and leg space to climate lengthy trips.

Images from the interior reveal a car or truck that is certainly effectively even though out and not low-cost seeking. I in particular like the dashboard with its overlapping circular instrument panel and effortless to reach audio and air conditioning controls. A generation ago, entry level cars would have looked and felt low-cost. Today’s drivers count on a lot more and the Versa delivers in the kind of a decent degree of standard equipment and attention to style.

The Versa replaces the Sentra because the entry level Nissan. Nissan has restyled the Sentra and “promoted” it up a notch much like Honda has performed using the Civic and Toyota with all the Corolla.

Even though extra high-priced than Chevy’s Aveo and Kia’s Rio, the car has significantly more flair and style than either one. Nevertheless, 1 has to wonder how the Versa will compete against Toyota’s soon to become released Yaris as well as the all new Honda Fit. Throw in new models expected from Dodge and Ford and add Chinese automobiles towards the mix as well as the whole entry level industry becomes saturated.

Ultimately, the Versa can be a step within the perfect direction along with a good substitute to some of its boxy competitors. Gen “Y” drivers have a different decision within the Versa and an substitute to Scion, Toyota’s youth-oriented brand.

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A take a look at to Nissan’s site reveals significantly about the Versa. Unlike a particular Scion automobile that takes its styling cues from a toaster, the Versa is aerodynamic and reminds me with the Toyota Matrix. Out there as a 4 door sedan or 5 door hatchback, the Versa is expected to retail for around $12,000, exactly the same price range as Scion vehicles. Like Scion, the Versa are going to be fairly effectively equipped to give motorists a value packed expertise with no having to add on many thousands much more to the base sticker value in order to achieve a satisfactory and comfy driving experience.

In addition to a 1.8L I4 engine, here is what you’ll be able to count on to be included with base models:

AM/FM/CD audio method

Air Conditioning

Energy side mirrors and automatic trunk release

six speed manual transmission [4 speed automatic is optional]

Split folding 60/40 seat using the hatchback

Not a negative typical equipment list for the price tag. For $2,000 additional, SL versions will include aluminum alloy wheels, cruise manage, power windows/doors/locks, remote keyless entry, a souped up sound program, and more.

The automobile will possess a 102 inch wheel base which is lengthy for a vehicle of its kind. The result is way more interior area, with four adults possessing ample knee and leg area to climate lengthy trips.

Photographs with the interior reveal a car which is well although out and not inexpensive searching. I specially like the dashboard with its overlapping circular instrument panel and simple and easy to reach audio and air conditioning controls. A generation ago, entry level vehicles would have looked and felt low-cost. Today’s drivers expect more as well as the Versa delivers within the form of a decent level of standard equipment and attention to style.

The Versa replaces the Sentra because the entry level Nissan. Nissan has restyled the Sentra and “promoted” it up a notch considerably like Honda has performed using the Civic and Toyota together with the Corolla.

Even though a great deal more costly than Chevy’s Aveo and Kia’s Rio, the automobile has way more flair and style than either one. Still, a single has to wonder how the Versa will compete against Toyota’s soon to be released Yaris plus the all new Honda Fit. Throw in new models expected from Dodge and Ford and add Chinese vehicles to the mix along with the entire entry level market becomes saturated.

Ultimately, the Versa can be a step within the perfect direction and also a great alternative to some of its boxy competitors. Gen “Y” drivers have one more choice inside the Versa and an option to Scion, Toyota’s youth-oriented brand.

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A stop by to Nissan’s website reveals considerably about the Versa. In contrast to a specific Scion car that takes its styling cues from a toaster, the Versa is aerodynamic and reminds me of the Toyota Matrix. Readily available as a 4 door sedan or 5 door hatchback, the Versa is expected to retail for about $12,000, the exact same cost range as Scion autos. Like Scion, the Versa are going to be fairly nicely equipped to give motorists a worth packed expertise without the need of getting to add on numerous thousands a great deal more towards the base sticker price so that you can obtain a satisfactory and comfy driving encounter.

In addition to a 1.8L I4 engine, right here is what you can easily anticipate to become included with base models:

AM/FM/CD audio process

Air Conditioning

Power side mirrors and automatic trunk release

six speed manual transmission [4 speed automatic is optional]

Split folding 60/40 seat with all the hatchback

Not a bad normal gear list for the value. For $2,000 additional, SL versions will include aluminum alloy wheels, cruise manage, energy windows/doors/locks, remote keyless entry, a souped up sound program, and alot more.

The auto will possess a 102 inch wheel base that is long to get a automobile of its sort. The result is additional interior room, with 4 adults having ample knee and leg space to climate long trips.

Pictures in the interior reveal a auto that may be properly even though out and not cheap searching. I specifically like the dashboard with its overlapping circular instrument panel and quick to reach audio and air conditioning controls. A generation ago, entry level cars would have looked and felt cheap. Today’s drivers count on significantly more plus the Versa delivers inside the form of a decent degree of typical equipment and interest to style.

The Versa replaces the Sentra as the entry level Nissan. Nissan has restyled the Sentra and “promoted” it up a notch considerably like Honda has carried out with all the Civic and Toyota with the Corolla.

Though alot more high-priced than Chevy’s Aveo and Kia’s Rio, the car or truck has more flair and style than either one particular. Nevertheless, 1 has to wonder how the Versa will compete against Toyota’s soon to be released Yaris and also the all new Honda Fit. Throw in new models expected from Dodge and Ford and add Chinese automobiles for the mix plus the complete entry level industry becomes saturated.

Ultimately, the Versa is really a step inside the suitable direction plus a great substitute to some of its boxy competitors. Gen “Y” drivers have one more option within the Versa and an option to Scion, Toyota’s youth-oriented brand.

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A go to to Nissan’s web page reveals much concerning the Versa. As opposed to a certain Scion vehicle that takes its styling cues from a toaster, the Versa is aerodynamic and reminds me of the Toyota Matrix. Offered as a 4 door sedan or five door hatchback, the Versa is expected to retail for about $12,000, the identical price range as Scion automobiles. Like Scion, the Versa will probably be fairly nicely equipped to provide motorists a value packed knowledge without possessing to add on a few thousands alot more for the base sticker value in an effort to accomplish a satisfactory and comfortable driving expertise.

Along with a 1.8L I4 engine, here is what it is easy to expect to become included with base models:

AM/FM/CD audio method

Air Conditioning

Power side mirrors and automatic trunk release

six speed manual transmission [4 speed automatic is optional]

Split folding 60/40 seat using the hatchback

Not a poor typical gear list for the price tag. For $2,000 significantly more, SL versions will include aluminum alloy wheels, cruise manage, energy windows/doors/locks, remote keyless entry, a souped up sound system, and a great deal more.

The auto will possess a 102 inch wheel base that is extended to get a vehicle of its variety. The result is alot more interior area, with 4 adults having ample knee and leg area to weather lengthy trips.

Pictures from the interior reveal a auto that is well even though out and not affordable seeking. I particularly like the dashboard with its overlapping circular instrument panel and simple and easy to reach audio and air conditioning controls. A generation ago, entry level cars would have looked and felt inexpensive. Today’s drivers count on way more along with the Versa delivers in the form of a decent amount of common gear and attention to style.

The Versa replaces the Sentra because the entry level Nissan. Nissan has restyled the Sentra and “promoted” it up a notch considerably like Honda has carried out with the Civic and Toyota with all the Corolla.

Although extra highly-priced than Chevy’s Aveo and Kia’s Rio, the auto has far more flair and style than either one. Nevertheless, a single has to wonder how the Versa will compete against Toyota’s soon to become released Yaris as well as the all new Honda Fit. Throw in new models expected from Dodge and Ford and add Chinese cars towards the mix and the complete entry level market place becomes saturated.

Ultimately, the Versa is a step in the right direction as well as a great alternative to some of its boxy competitors. Gen “Y” drivers have one other alternative within the Versa and an option to Scion, Toyota’s youth-oriented brand.

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THEY SAY THAT imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but are these new Chinese cars taking things too far?

Remember that Chinese 4×4 that looked like a BMW X5? Well this year’s Beijing Motorshow saw some more cars which resembled certain European models.

Lifan Auto 320

This is the Lifan Auto 320, and it must be said that it bares more than a passing resemblance to the MINI Countryman.

Geeley Englon

The Bentley EXP 9 F SUV concept took quite a lot of flack for its “ugly” front end, but Geeley clearly liked it and…erm…’borrowed’ it for the Englon SX6 (above) and SC7-RV (top).

CH Auto Lithia

Did somebody say Audi R8? You can’t help but notice that the CH Auto Lithia concept has taken inspiration from Audi’s ‘sideblade’ idea to surround what appears to be a ridiculously small door.

JAC Heyue SC

There’s more than a hint of Ferrari California to the JAC Heyue SC, with rear lights that sink into and rise out of the top of the bodywork, the black inset area on the rear bumper and the shape of the roof and bootlid.

It is likely, however, that nothing will ever be done to stop these kind of cars in China because, in the same way that the makers of the Grand Theft Auto games always get away with it, they look different enough from the real cars that it can simply be passed off as a coincidence. Even though we all know it’s not.

EASTERN CAR MAKERS are staging an attack on the established European brands, and they look set to take some big scalps.

Yesterday’s news that Chinese car maker Great Wall are to start selling their Steed pick-up truck in the UK, the first Chinese brand to do so, marks the start of a momentus tide change for the European car market. Be it the far east, or just eastern Europe, the future is changing positively for buyers wallets, but it could spell disaster for the establishment.

CHINA

Let’s take a look at China first. It was the Japanese, way back in the 1970s and 1980s that opened the way for Asian cars to make it big in Europe. Over the decades, the likes of Datsun (and then Nissan), Toyota and Honda have grown to become some of the biggest car makers in the world and have established themselves (and Japan as a nation) as a byword for reliability.

With the Japaese cars now well established it opened the door for South Korea, with Hyundai and Kia, to come in. They started with the philosophy of selling “cheap ‘n’ cheerful” cars; they did indeed have plenty of the former but not so much of the latter. But now, you’ll find Kia and Hyundai badges attatched to cars of very high quality indeed.

European buyers then, are open to buying cars from Asia, however the Chinese makers may struggle a little more thanks to a reputation (rightly or wrongly) for knock-off designer labels and a somewhat questionable regime. Which is why they’re coming in cheap. I mean, a four-wheel-drive, four-seat pick-up truck with heated leather seat, air conditioning, MP3/Bluetooth radio and plenty of other toys besides for under £14k? That’s a mighty hard offer to turn down.
Great Wall aren’t the only ones, Geely are looking to enter the UK market soon and let’s not forget who owns the recently reborn MG. Plus, if the Chinese brands can grow and improve at the same rate as the Korean and Japanese brands did then they will surely be a force to be reckoned with.

DACIA

Renault’s Romanian based budget brand are also about to launch in the UK having already done so successfully in other European countries, and they could land an even more deadly blow than the Chinese.

It all starts with the rather handsome Duster 4×4 (top) which will go on sale later this year starting at under £10,000, that’s cheaper than even the most basic VW Polo and £5,000 less than an entry level Skoda Yeti (bottom), surely its closest rival.
Following the Duster will be the Sandero supermini (above) and the Lodgy seven-seat MPV (below), both of which will undercut rivals by considerable margins.

Why Dacia pose the biggest threat of all is that they are not only cheaper than the Chinese cars, but they come with some reputation too. They are based on proven and tested Renault/Nissan mechanicals and will be sold through Renault dealerships. Not only this but Dacias have already launched in other European countries and are selling extremely well; anyone who’s stepped foot in mainland Europe in the past couple of years can’t not have noticed Dacias everywhere they turn.

SO, WHO’S MOST AT RISK?

Well, several major players could be in trouble if Dacia and the Chinese brands take off in the UK. Most at risk are likely to be Peugeot, SEAT and Skoda. Peugeot have been struggling for sales for a good few years now and are risking it all on a new model offensive to try and recapture their former glory. SEAT and Skoda were previously seen as VW’s stylish and budget brands respectively, but in recent years SEATs haven’t had the style appeal they once had and have been down in the doldrums at the bottom of the sales charts.

Skoda on the other hand have been having huge success, producing cars of very high quality and growing year on year. However, they’re no longer the bargains they once were and Dacia have kind of stolen their “bit”. Buyers looking for a small SUV might opt for the super-cheap Dacia Duster or the upmarket VW Tiguan, leaving the Yeti as a bit of a piggy-in-the-middle with no real niche to fill any more.
Other mainstream manufacturers like Ford and Vuaxhall can’t rest on their laurels either, these budget brands pose a serious threat to everyone’s sales figures.

What’s going to happen then? Well, only time will tell but ultimately it’s the buying public that will determine the future. All I’ll say is this; a proper-sized, family SUV for less than the cost of a supermini will be a very tempting proposition indeed for a significant percentage of the population.

While out for my walk, I waited for traffic, before crossingJefferson Street. A motorized bicycle crossed. He was putt-putting along at fifteen miles an hour, using very little gasoline and receiving a million dollars worth of enjoyment.

A friend inIowa sent me a video of a Chinese Volkswagen. It was a one-cylinder diesel that carries only one person; however, it attains 258 mpg. The cost is $600USA, and will be available on the Chinese market in 2012.

I’m not pushing Volkswagens, but…

Better than Electric Car – 258 miles/gallon: IPO 2010 in Shanghai

• This is a single seated car  
• From conception to production: 3 years and the company is headquartered in Hamburg , Germany
• Will be selling for 4000 yuan, equivalent to US$600
• Gas tank capacity = 1.7 gallons        
• Speed = 62 – 74.6 Miles/hour
• Fuel efficiency = 258 miles/gallon

Back in the 1910s America found plenty of oil to run its cars and economy, but by the 1960s Kennedy and all of the presidents following him were talking about American energy independence. While they talked, our oil imports continued to increase and thus our dependence upon foreign oil escalated. Several independent factors grew, which at the time were seen as good things. In those 100 years our population has gone from 91 million to 311, the number of automobiles from 0.5 million to 250 million. Unfortunately, what is less defensible is the horsepower and gas consumption of those huge cars that were built, and the unwillingness of the American public to buy more fuel-efficient cars. We refused to abandon the conspicuous consumption of big, heavy and powerful status symbols. Two years ago my blog post, The American automobile is going to eat the food off your plate, warned of that problem and referenced an earlier post -“You can’t cure stupid!” especially Detroit-stupid. When I wrote that blog it seemed to me like the Detroit auto executives were behaving at the pinnacle of human stupidity. These top Detroit auto executives were flying off to Washington in private jets and begging for money so they could continue making exactly the kind of wasteful vehicles that were destroying America and the Earth.

Note that the Chinese car production is growing, and they are energy efficient cars.

Last night I was watching TV and saw a Chrysler ad, which appeared to be a direct confrontation to my blog post noted above. It touted a big mean-looking car strutting around Gotham city, like a Batmobile acting like John Travolta, with the voice-over saying in a beautifully arrogant voice – Because, that’s what we do.

That arrogant idea is the new mantra throughout Hollywood and will no doubt become standard pabulum for this generation. Lady Gaga comes out of her egg with a similar theme. The basic idea is great—be your quirky self—but these media people start off with a full blare of excess, so they will burn out the idea before it can really be developed. The problem with this fantasy arrogance is that when it is applied to America’s behavior in general it will soon lead to national collapse, which won’t be a fantasy. The ancient saying “Pride goes before a fall” will play out as oil becomes too expensive to operate our huge fleet of excessively large cars. China with more economical cars will get its workers to and from their jobs with less gas and will be able to sell their products on the world market just that much cheaper. Thus American jobs and American workers will take yet another hit. When America loses its stranglehold on the oil supplying countries of the world, America will go into crisis. The tiny part of US supply coming from Libya, being disrupted this week, shows just how dependent upon foreign oil the US really is, and prices rocket.

If Detroit had been pushing to build European level economy cars ever since the first days of the VW beetle invasion of 1959, we would be going two or three times as far per gallon of gas, and we would still be using American oil to run our cars. Now that easy-to-get oil has been burned up, and we are forced to drill under a mile of ocean water in the Gulf to get more. It is possible that the very cars I saw in the Chrysler ad will rust out from disuse rather than wear out from normal use, because of the great expense of operating them when gas hits $100 per gallon, say, ten years, probably less.

The American big car will consume American  jobs.

A visit to Nissan’s website reveals much about the Versa. Unlike a certain Scion vehicle that takes its styling cues from a toaster, the Versa is aerodynamic and reminds me of the Toyota Matrix. Available as a four door sedan or five door hatchback, the Versa is expected to retail for around $12,000, the same price range as Scion vehicles. Like Scion, the Versa will be fairly well equipped to give motorists a value packed experience without having to add on several thousands more to the base sticker price in order to achieve a satisfactory and comfortable driving experience.

Along with a 1.8L I4 engine, here is what you can expect to be included with base models:

AM/FM/CD audio system
Air Conditioning
Power side mirrors and automatic trunk release
6 speed manual transmission [4 speed automatic is optional]
Split folding 60/40 seat with the hatchback

Not a bad standard equipment list for the price. For $2,000 more, SL versions will come with aluminum alloy wheels, cruise control, power windows/doors/locks, remote keyless entry, a souped up sound system, and more.

The car will have a 102 inch wheel base which is long for a vehicle of its type. The result is more interior room, with four adults having ample knee and leg room to weather long trips.

Pictures of the interior reveal a car that is well though out and not cheap looking. I especially like the dashboard with its overlapping circular instrument panel and easy to reach audio and air conditioning controls. A generation ago, entry level cars would have looked and felt cheap. Today’s drivers expect more and the Versa delivers in the form of a decent level of standard equipment and attention to style.

The Versa replaces the Sentra as the entry level Nissan. Nissan has restyled the Sentra and “promoted” it up a notch much like Honda has done with the Civic and Toyota with the Corolla.

Although more expensive than Chevy’s Aveo and Kia’s Rio, the car has more flair and style than either one. Still, one has to wonder how the Versa will compete against Toyota’s soon to be released Yaris and the all new Honda Fit. Throw in new models expected from Dodge and Ford and add Chinese cars to the mix and the whole entry level market becomes saturated.

Ultimately, the Versa is a step in the right direction and a nice alternative to some of its boxy competitors. Gen “Y” drivers have another choice in the Versa and an alternative to Scion, Toyota’s youth-oriented brand.

Before I went off to a bible study group, I sat in a coffee shop and there were no English newspapers there, so I flipped through a Hebrew paper there and this ad caught my eye.  There had been rumours of a rebirth of this brand, albeit with the cars made in China to start with the intention of kick starting the factory in Longbridge, Birmingham after that.   This seems enormously challenging given that the car industry has suffered the most during the recession.

This car built by SAIC Motors, China and this appears to be an entirely new model.  It would seem enourmously difficult to convince the public to buy new cars when a recession is on, and also how do you convince the previous dealerships to stock these model cars again?  The other problem is people don’t always associate Chinese manufacturing with quality, it may be hard to shake off this stigma.

Cars are way more expensive in Israel than they are in the UK or Europe.   I think a basic model 1.4 Peugeot 207 costs about £8000, where as in Israel I saw this car listed at the equivalent of £15,000.

Most of the cars I see here are very bland Mazda, Toyota or Hyundai models.  I rarely see any MG or Rover cars from before 2005 here, so this is most unusual seeing this ad here.  I hope MG has great success.  Check out www.mg-israel.co.il

Mercedes C-Class vs. Geely Merrie 300

Rolls-Royce Phantom vs. Hongqi HQD

Vauxhall (Opel) Frontera vs. Landwind

This Chevy Website for China sales is pretty cool!

View the website at http://cruze.chevrolet.com.cn/

The IG car from Geely will not only outsmart Tata Nano in terms of price, but also in the realm of technical features as it is for more superior car when compared to its Indian rival. The three-seater IG is expected to come with 1.0 litre three-cylinder gasoline engine that generates 70 bhp of power, and a continuously variable transmission (CVVT). Whereas, Tata Nano is equipped with the small 624 cc two-cylinder engine that generates a paltry 35 PS output.

A concept form of Geely IG (IG stands for Intelligent Geely) has wowed visitors at the last month’s Beijing Motor Show and going by the images, it looks like a stunner and will, no doubt, create waves in China and Russia, where it will be available initially.

“The power system of IG is also equipped with Geely’s GSG (Geely Stop and Go) system, which automatically perform the intellectual control of the start & stop of engines’ stalling under the circumstances of waiting at urban traffic lights and congestion. It again restarts engines fast upon stepping on to accelerator pedal for the sake of saving fuels efficiently and protecting environment,” said Geely, while unveiling the concept at the Beijing Motor Show.

Geely, the largest private carmaker in China, will also come out with an electric version of the model for the US and European markets. The electric model will boast of 80 bhp.

We don’t know the true, if the photo is from an endorsed brochure as optional since there’s a possibility that it could be sourced from a car magazine. Either way, while we have no erudition of the Chinese speech, we’re presuming that the dying sentences in the object mean that BYD Auto’s T6 Cayenne knockoff is planned to be introduced in September 2010 and that it will be equipped with a 2.0-liter engine.

Read more (details + photos)!!

Chinese BYD Auto isn’t the only carmaker that has adopted vehicle cloning as an accepted development plan. As we saw once again at last month’s Shanghai Auto Show, many automakers from China follow this way to start new cars.

I keep the 2008 campaign website up because I want our think tanks, non-profits, scientists, and Obama to continue adopting ideas from the website, not just plug-in cars, but all the Top Ten List, and the rest of my futuristic ideas.

That website provided most of the issues adopted by Obama and the DNC for the 2008 Presidential campaign. In fact, if you see Obama saying or doing anything that is on my website, you know he copied it from me. Why? Because on July 20, 2007, nothing on my website had ever been in any of Obama’s speeches, nor on his websites, nor in his printed material. He copied everything, from my phrase “bold new ideas” to universal healthcare, to energy independence, etc.

That is why I ran for President! None of the other candidates had any of those ideas in their speeches or websites!

 Clinton and Obama never adopted the battery initiative, but immediately after I posted it, Hillary, who had never spoken or written the term “Plug-in car” suddenly visited one of the experimental plug-in car companies raving in wonder at the idea.

John McCain copied it almost word for word and increased the prize money, whereupon the Democrats assaulted it with all the vicious  ridicule they could muster, and that is what the Democratic machine does best.

Look at how the Dems are savaging poor Gov. Blagojevich even though he is one of their own. They are destroying him because he refused to carry out Obama’s wish to appoint Jarrett to the Senate without paying to play the Chicago Way.

But I digress, because savagery demands we look the same way that we look at car accidents and train wrecks.

Back to batteries.

Not far from my childhood home in Chicago is Argonne National Laboratories, originally a key lab in our nation’s nuclear program. During my childhood, our family used to picnic on its extensive lands.

Almost all of our nation’s largest battery companies, including Johnson Controls and 3M, just announced that they are joining together with Argonne National Labs to construct an advanced open foundry to develop lithium rechargeable batteries for use in plug-in cars.

It is nice being the ideological leader! Big Smile!

But wait. Wasn’t there a law against anti-competitive collusion?

My idea was to have a competitive contest. These clowns want restraint of trade.

The only other problem is they want the government to give them billions of dollars to pay for all of it. A billion dollar bailout from their failure to notice what was going on in the world. A failure to anticipate what all we bright people  saw long ago.

Our companies want the government to bail them out as they play catch-up ball from their stupidity. OK, but the government gets a 66 percent royalty interest in the patents!

As evidence that these American companies are way behind, they want to START work on rechargeable batteries while other nation’s are already building cars using what seems beyond our reach. What ever happened to American technological leadership?

I have been complaining for years that leadership in science and technology has passed to China and India, and trying to start a new University to cure our shortage of 3,000,000 math, medical, science and engineering teachers at http://www.fluni.com      Please go there and donate tax deductible to start recovering our nation’s greatness that the boobies in Congress have sold down the river. 

Of course, our companies are closing the barn doors after the horse are out and gone. While our companies are wasting time begging for government bailouts, the Chinese are so far ahead that I cannot decide whether it is comic or tragic.

China announced that they intend to sell plug in cars in the US next year, a full year before GM introduces its Volt plug-in, which GM has been developing since Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaurs roamed Michigan.

Maybe dinosaurs still do roam Michigan. The same Board of Directors is still mismanaging Ford, GM and Chrysler into extinction, and wanting government bailouts.

We should pass a law against feeding the dinosaurs, except then we would have to let all the Congressmen starve to death.

Hmm!

GWM Hover

Many people are not prepared to pay this premium (or cannot afford to) anymore and are looking at cheaper motoring alternatives. Currently the chinees and indian players are dominating this market.

Looking at the market, I believe that there is one serious contender to take on the market: GWM. Why do I say this?

GWM came on the SA market in Jan 2007 and launched their range of LWB bakkies and double cabs. Since then, they have achieved the following

- Facelifted the LWB and double cabs

- Added the Multiwagon

- Added the Steed range (Jan 08)

- Facelifted the Steed range

- Added the Hover

- Added the Hover Limo

- Added the Peri

- Grown their dealership to 77 dealers nationwide, including Namibia and Botswana

- Built a 45 000 sq/m warehouse for their parts

- Extended their warranties to 2 years/60 000km (3 year/100 000 on Steed and Hover)

GWM Steed

The best of all is that their prices remained unchanged through these upgrades and additions.

Yes, the technology might not be bang up to date, but you get a lot of value for what you pay.

In these trying times, everyone is trying to make the most of their cents, and I believe that GWM will be a strong contender in the South African market in the not to distant future.

 Visit the GWM Website for more info

The automobile market is one of the largest consumer markets in the United States. Almost every family owns at least one car, and even with concerns of emissions and global warming, cars are still the most popular way to get around. No matter where you drive, you always seem to hit some bumper-to-bumper traffic. On the other hand, cars are not as widely used in China, a country of 1.3 billion people. That doesn’t mean that the auto market is small, though. In fact, the Chinese auto market is heating up now!

Personal car ownership is driving the million-vehicle-per-year growth in China’s auto industry. Today, seven out of eight new cars are bought by first-time car buyers. Economic growth and the corresponding boom in the auto industry in China– and in the private passenger car market in particular — has attracted more than 100 global and domestic vehicle manufacturers to compete on the Chinese stage. Nearly all of them — including General Motors Corp, Ford Motor Co and Chrysler LLC — plan to display their offerings, unveil new concepts and vie for consumers at Auto China 2008.

China’s growth is in stark contrast with what is happening in North America, which in 2007 experienced its worst sales in 15 years and where US automakers reported historic losses. In the last 10 years, China’s auto market has grown 500 percent. Experts at the Automotive News China Conference in Beijing forecast continuing annual increases of about 10 percent in the Chinese market for decades to come.

An interesting phenomena is that Japanese brand automobiles (Toyota, Honda, etc.) are taking the “leading roles” in both markets. The Chinese market has to face to some strong competitors from other Asian countries in order to win the market. Just like early Japanese and Korean manufacturers, Chinese companies have begun by focusing on the low end of the market, where profit margins are smaller.

With prices starting as low as $6,000, Chinese-made cars are attracting a growing number of Chinese motorists. Office workers are very keen to get their hands on their first car. The nippy Chery QQ is popular choice, and it comes in a range of bright neon colors. Labor is cheap, so the cars can be produced cheaply. Since Chinese car manufacturers have low prices as their main advantage, unfortunately the quality of their final product often suffers.

China is a huge market, which explains why domestic producers are preparing to serve their home market first before targeting global markets in earnest. Nanjing Automobile and Geely say they will build models for the foreign markets, but for now only a tiny number of Chinese-made cars are sold overseas. In 14 years, though, experts expect that there will be about 140 million cars on Chinese roads. That’s more than the United States has today!