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Bill Ford's committment to smaller cars and the ongoing shift across the spectrum with the Cruze at GM
07/31/2008
Bill Ford's interview with Bartiromo of CNBC and Business Week in which he outlines his struggle at Ford to focus managers on small cars and the new team of Ford, Mullaly and Farley that is focussing on small cars.
Linked Articles
Bill Ford on Tipping Points and Thinking Small
BusinessWeek 07/31/2008
GM plans $500M for 45-mpg small carDetroit News 08/22/2008
The shift to small cars
07/22/2008
GM's Cruze, Ford's Focus and Fiesta mark the shift to smaller cars for the Detroit automakers.
Linked Articles
GM plans $500M for 45-mpg small car
Detroit News 08/22/2008
Ford to Make Broader Bet on Small CarsNew York Times 07/22/2008
US energy policy in cars showed the Detroit automakers falling way behind the Europeans and the Japanese in this chart.
07/06/2008
Detroit automakers sticking with the status quo let a wide gap build up in fuel efficiency and smaller cars with the Europeans and the Japanese. Upto the point that it became difficult for them to make a profitable small car because they had less expertise in that area.
Linked Articles
American Energy Policy, Asleep at the Spigot
New York Times 07/06/2008
GM plans $500M for 45-mpg small carDetroit News 08/22/2008
China's oil demand to grow at 2-3% over the next 15 years by one estimate.
06/20/2008
A much slower growth in oil demand as fuel efficient engines make a strong impact. Government policy raising oil prices, giving tax breaks for smaller engines to promote smaller cars on Chinese roads, and promotion of new hybrid and electric car technologies with significant subsidies, all push in this direction.
Linked Articles
China's Thirst for Oil Could Come Up Short
Wall Street Journal 06/01/2010
China Sharply Raises Energy PricesNew York Times 06/20/2008
CarMax used SUV and truck prices for early months of 2008 show stunning declines prompting GM rethinking its entire product lineup.
06/19/2008
CarMax, a used car retailer says price declines for SUV's and pickup trucks were severe in early months of 2008 with a 25% decline. The declines were sharpest in May and early June suggesting that things could get very bad for carmakers which don't make an abrupt and dramatic shift away from these types of vehicles.
Linked Articles
GM Puts Off Truck, SUV Redesigns In New Focus
Wall Street Journal 06/19/2008
Grim CarMax News Hits Auto MakersWall Street Journal 06/19/2008
Huge shift in car mix in favor of smaller cars as USA buyers finally make the shift and fast.
06/19/2008
Small cars sales move up quickly from 12.5% to 20% of vehicles sold. Market is running at 12.5 million vehicles in May 2008. The small car share will rise much higher as supplies increase, currently small cars sell quickly and are in short supply especially for Hona Fit and Civic cars and the Ford Focus.
Linked Articles
The Smaller the Better, Automakers Are Finding
New York Times 06/20/2008
GM Puts Off Truck, SUV Redesigns In New FocusWall Street Journal 06/19/2008
The Honda Civic becomes the best selling brand marking the shift to smaller cars.
06/04/2008
The Japanese carmakers pass the Detroit carmakers in sales with smaller models like the Honda Civic leading the way. Bill Ford talks about his and Mullaly's committment to a shift to smaller cars.
Linked Articles
In a First, Asian Autos Outsold Detroit’s in May
New York Times 06/04/2008
Bill Ford on Tipping Points and Thinking SmallBusinessWeek 07/31/2008
How all carmakers and Detroit automakers in particular missed what was happening in the economy and the market with dire results.
05/20/2008
Even as late as May 22, 2008 Ford pared its outlook to 14-15 million cars as reported by Jeff Bennett in the WSJ. That puts the situation in October 2008, with a 30-40% drop in sales year over year only 5 months away.
Linked Articles
Car Makers' Boom Years Now Look Like a Bubble
Wall Street Journal 05/20/2008
Ford Motor Pares OutlookWall Street Journal 05/22/2008
BMW, Benz and luxury retailers Saks, Nordstrom face declining luxury consumption.
04/30/2008
Sales at luxury retailers full priced stores are flat or declining while their factory outlets are seeing increased sales. BMW and Mercedes are taking writedowns for the drop in the value of their secondhand leased cars in the USA. This reflects declining economic conditions in April 2008.
Linked Articles
Profit Hurt, BMW Diverts Cars From U.S.
Wall Street Journal 04/30/2008
Luxury Retailers Pin Hopes on OutletsWall Street Journal 04/30/2008
The steep decline in Cherry's car sales in China and the precarious condition of the Chinese consumer- 2008
04/24/2008
The precarious condition of the Chinese consumer and first time buyer of cars, with no safety net in the economy for health care or unemployment. The severe downturn for Cherry and why GM cannot look to China for any kind of relief.
Linked Articles
With First Car, a New Life in China
New York Times 04/24/2008
China's Car Makers Seek Different Help: Lower Sales TaxesWall Street Journal 11/20/2008
Popular Eastern European automobile brands that stand for quality in Europe at low price points- Renault's Dacia in Romania
02/11/2008
The Dacia and Logan brands manufactured in Romania are expected to cross the 1 million sales mark in 2012. The Logan and Dacia have established a presence in Europe as models known for reliability. Sales of these lower cost cars are popular with buyers in France who see this as a choice replacing buying a used car.
Linked Articles
Frugal Dacia Stars in Renault's Overhaul
Wall Street Journal 02/11/2008
Renault Takes Low-Cost LeadWall Street Journal 04/16/2012
Women in India's software industry
01/17/2008
As the percentage of women in India's software industry approaches 50% by 2010 their concerns and issues important to them should be important to companies to attract good employees. Safety will soon emerge as one of the issues.
Linked Articles
H.P. Case to Go Forward in India
New York Times 01/31/2008
Young and Impatient in IndiaBusinessWeek 01/17/2008
Daimler's solution to overheating in lithium ion car batteries and GM and Toyota's own efforts to solve this
01/11/2008
The overheating of lithium ion batteries is why it has taken so long to come up with mass market electric cars or hybrids using lithium ion batteries. Daimler's Zetsche says his company is the first to put a car on the market with litium ion battery in its S400 in late 2008 and it has developed a sophisticated cooling system in the car for this.
Linked Articles
At Daimler, Sales Follow the World’s Oil Riches
New York Times 05/10/2008
Race to Make Electric Cars Stalled by Battery ProblemsWall Street Journal 01/11/2008
Honda's decades long emphasis on the environment and fuel efficent small cars is making it a winner.
07/28/2008
Honda is the only one of the large manufacturers od autos that is increasing sales in the North American market.
Linked Articles
Honda Stays True to Efficient Driving
New York Times 08/26/2008
Honda's On the Go As Auto Makers Brace for July ResultsWall Street Journal 07/28/2008
Japanese automakers like Honda and the Detorit automakers went divergent paths of fuel efficient and smaller cars.
07/06/2008
This put Honda in arelatively better position than the Detroit automakers as SUV sales slumped and the shift to smaller cars was ocurring in abig way by the second half of 2008.
Linked Articles
American Energy Policy, Asleep at the Spigot
New York Times 07/06/2008
Sized for the TimesNew York Times 10/19/2008
Sales of the Honda Civic, Toyota Prius,Ford Focus and the Honda Fit , all smaller cars are doing well
06/20/2008
Even so Toyota will not go ahead with making the Prius at the new plant in Blue Springs, Mississippi, is a sign of the severity of the economic downturn that is shaping up for 2009 and 2010.
Linked Articles
The Smaller the Better, Automakers Are Finding
New York Times 06/20/2008
Toyota delays new Prius plantDetroit News 12/16/2008
The Honda Civic paradox- sales over 600,000 worldwide, and a mere 9000 in Japan in 2009
06/20/2008
Honda plans to discontinue production of the Civic in Japan as buyers are showing more interest in cars like the Honda Fit.
Linked Articles
Honda to End Civic Sales in Japan
Wall Street Journal 11/16/2010
The Smaller the Better, Automakers Are FindingNew York Times 06/20/2008
American driving habits and preferences are finally beginning to change in 2008 as oil prices reach $4.00 to $4.70 per gallon.
06/19/2008
Americans miles driven reached 3 trillion miles by 2007 and now are headed downward for the first time in 10 years. its affecting car prteferences in favor of smaller cars and changing driver habits.
Linked Articles
The Smaller the Better, Automakers Are Finding
New York Times 06/20/2008
Driving Less, Americans Finally React to Sting of Gas Prices, a Study SaysNew York Times 06/19/2008
Honda's hydrogen powered FCV car
06/17/2008
Honda plans to introduce the hydrogen powered FCV car to the Japanese market in March 2016.
Linked Articles
Honda Introduces Vehicle Powered by Hydrogen
New York Times 01/13/2015
Latest Honda Runs on Hydrogen, Not PetroleumNew York Times 06/17/2008
Differing timelines for Bill Ford and Mullaly at Ford and Wagoner at GM in their shift to smaller cars.
06/04/2008
GM was late in the shift to smaller cars than Ford even as the shift was taking place. Both companies though remained mired in a decades long stagnation in fuel efficency even as companies like Honda moved forward, and as the gap with the Europeans and the Japanese in the technology and skills of making small cars widened.
Linked Articles
G.M. Closing 4 Plants in Shift From Trucks Toward Cars
New York Times 06/04/2008
Bill Ford on Tipping Points and Thinking SmallBusinessWeek 07/31/2008
Board meetings at GM and the how the culture and style of management stalled decisions on fuel efficiency and small car development.
05/15/2008
The evolution of the old management styles and attitudes as Ford brought in outside management and Bill Ford took a new tack, and at GM where old management plodded on inexorably in the old way. Which is quite different from what Alfred Sloan had advocated in his memoirs when he insisted on discussion and debate on critical decisions in board meetings for them to be worthwhile.
Linked Articles
BusinessWeek 05/15/2008
Bill Ford on Tipping Points and Thinking SmallBusinessWeek 07/31/2008
FDIC Bair's proposal to aid homeowners anticipating the banking and mortagage crisis.
04/30/2008
FDIC Sheila Bair seen in retrospect after her anticipation of the mortgage and credit crisis and helping prepare FDIC for it. And for the comprehensive approach she took and which later convinced people at Treasury who had earlier adopted a case by case approach not realizing how deep and far reaching this crisis would be.
Linked Articles
Agency’s Head Expects Banking’s Crisis to Worsen
New York Times 08/27/2008
Bair Proposal Seeks Government Loans To Aid HomeownersWall Street Journal 04/30/2008
Toyota Prius hybrid- hard sell in India and China
04/21/2008
The Prius is priced around $22,000 in Japan and the U.S. In India and China it costs around $40,000 with import duties. This makes it a hard sell where pollution is a major problem.
Linked Articles
In India, 'Green Cars' Look Like a Hard Sell
Wall Street Journal 01/08/2010
In China, Hybrids Are Tough SellWall Street Journal 04/21/2008
Renault's bold strategy with the lowcost Logan and Dacia models targeted at European markets
02/11/2008
The success of the Logan and Dacia in France and other European markets has helped Renault. Profit margins on the two low cost vehcles is about 6%, higher than Renault's 2-3% margins on other cars. This turns the accepted logic in the auto industry on its head about higher margins with larger more expensive cars.
Linked Articles
Frugal Dacia Stars in Renault's Overhaul
Wall Street Journal 02/11/2008
Renault Takes Low-Cost LeadWall Street Journal 04/16/2012
Toyota's plug in hybrid by 2010 and Nissan's electric cars by 2010
01/14/2008
Nissan wil have a mass market type electic car by 2010, and Toyota will have a plug in by 2010.
Linked Articles
Nissan Plans Electric Car in U.S. by ’10
New York Times 05/13/2008
Toyota Will Offer a Plug-In Hybrid by 2010New York Times 01/14/2008
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