Quote:
Originally Posted by doc_spartan
Brew
Thanks for the reply!
Regarding currency manipulation, I pretty much agree. It's clear that fiscal policy in Japan is to keep their currency around 100 yen per dollar. (I think the yen has been weak against the dollar over the last few years, running about 110 to 120). The overall weakness of the dollar is probably forcing intervention by Japan's central bank to maintain their preferred ratio.
On your point about domestic production my info is pretty dated. Ten years ago the bulk of Accords and Civics sold in the US came from Marysville. My memory is that 2 door Accords were still imported...something like that? At that time the mini-van was manufactured in Canada. The CRVs all came from Japan, as did all Accura products. Since then they've built a plant in the southeast, and I've pretty much lost track of what is made domestically. It's clear that the Big 3 have more US plants, but I'm pretty confident that the bulk of Honda's sold in the US are likely produced here.
On the PR front these guys are always worried about a backlash. Everyone understands that a successful market share strategy vs a significant domestic industry has the potential for generating a terrible PR situation....hence the "aw shucks" attitude. In many ways this was probably the genesis of the original Honda PR approach...remember the "you meet the nicest people in a Honda" campaign? They still use a kind of doofy style...if you see a quirky car commercial it's likely to be theirs.
Looking at your post it seems that the core issue is your (in my opinion accurate) charge that the Japanese intentionally keep their currency weak to spur exports, and sponsor auto industry related technology development. If I'm interpreting correctly the current situation should be about perfect for the Big 3, our currency is incredibly weak right now. All we need is some politician to sponsor a project for the next big leap forward in auto technology...hydrogen, improved batteries? What would you suggest?
|
I don't think that the US government simply leading the way to the next alternative fuel is going to do all that much to help the Big 3. I think the most realistic alternative fuel in the near future will be cellulosic ethanol made from something like switchgrass, with some kind of biological processing. That way, you don't put so much energy into making the ethanol, while getting little in return as you do currently with corn. Ethanol also uses the current infrastructure of gas stations to distribute. I guess the only better alternative would be to have home plug-in electric vehicles, like the Chevy Volt.
I will admit that Japanese vehicles are probably slightly better made than domestic vehicles, and that's partially why people are buying them......but it's now simply because the Japanese automakers can spend a few thousand more per vehicle while making the same or more profit, and have full backing of their government for R&D and competitive advantage.
The only solutions I see, are for the US population to just start buying more domestic vehicles....which I believe will probably not happen, due to the rise of the self-hating, "America is bad" population.....or the government has to intervene in some way. I also don't see that happening, because Japan, to a degree, owns our politicians. If they start regulating Japanese imports, they will suffer repercussions. The people of this country have to be the ones to refuse buying so many foreign vehicles. It's not like Japanese vehicle are that much cheaper, or that much more well made. It's mainly reputation and public perception. People who buy Japanese vehicles always try to justify their purchase, and think they are smarter then people who buy American. Smarter, because they believe they made a better choice to buy a better vehicle. People in most other countries prefer to buy vehicles made in their own country, by domestic automakers, even if those vehicles are considered inferior to imported vehicles. Not so in this country.