By Marty Padgett
January 7th, 2009
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How's your Wednesday? Good? Unthreatening? If so, stop reading now, because HybridCars has just published a list of six "chokepoints" for the global oil supply, which, if attacked, could bring the industrialized world screeching to a halt. Downer, I know.
Spread mostly across the Middle East and Asia, the half-dozen locations are important shipping lanes for oil tankers, and thus, the international oil trade. Not surprisingly, they're all straits and canals, which leave the vessels traversing them vulnerable to pirates (yes, they still make pirates) and terrorist groups, as well as run-of-the-mill shipwrecks. Nothing serious has happened in these areas yet, but pirates did seize a supersized Saudi oil tanker near the Suez Canal just a couple of months back.
Given the degree of political unrest we're seeing in Palestine, Pakistan, and swaths of Africa--not to mention the freakish storm systems of recent years--it would seem it's only a matter of time before similar incidents take place in these locations. All of which should serve as some kind of impetus for the US to do as every political candidate in recent memory has suggested: reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Or else.
So...still having a good Wednesday?
--Richard Read
[HybridCars.com]
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Tags: oil, Driving, Industry
By Marty Padgett
January 6th, 2009
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Not that we needed any more bad news on a mid-recession Tuesday morning, but it appears that things in Japan keep getting worse.
First comes word from Honda that it's shelving plans for many new models for at least two years. That means many things--including no new, snazzy Acuras to compete in the luxury market. There's even talk of streamlining production of the company's highly popular Accord; currently, there's a version made for U.S. consumers, and another for the rest of the world, but making a one-size-fits-all model would certainly save some yen.
Then comes Toyota's announcement that it's shutting down production in its Japanese plants for 11 full days. The last time that happened? In 1993--for one day. The shutdown might have something to do with the company's profit projections--which sound healthy at $555 million, but not when you consider that last year, Toyota was over $18 billion in the black. Ouch.
None of us on this side of the Pacific is reveling in the fact that Japanese automakers are getting hit as badly as their American counterparts, but it's nice to know we're not alone.
--Richard Read
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Tags: Industry, Japan
By Marty Padgett
January 6th, 2009
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On Friday, UAW president Ron Gettelfinger paid a visit to the The Detroit News' op-ed page, and what he said there should come as no surprise to anyone.
In a nutshell, he claimed: middle America actually supports the Big 3 bailout; the UAW isn't responsible for automaker woes; and the UAW is speedy and efficient. He also argued that the UAW is being picked on by President Bush and that cutting wages and benefits for UAW members doesn't benefit anyone.
While he doesn't set his sights on any one issue as "The Problem", he does point to U.S. trade policy and the lack of universal healthcare as major stumbling blocks.
Like most spokespeople, Gettelfinger makes his points and makes them well. He sidesteps potential potholes and uses apple pie phrases like "working families". How can anyone argue with that?
And to be fair, despite the union's many flaws--including its supersized, 22-pound contract--it would be hard to pin blame for the industry's collapse on the UAW's back alone. There are designers, quality control personnel, and plenty of upper managers that have contributed to the meltdown.
Still, there's something so empty about his rhetoric and the way he refuses to accept any blame at all for the Big 3 crisis--it's almost worse than if he'd remained silent. His tone is also defiant and by-the-book, which doesn't bode well for the outside-the-box thinking that'll be needed to overcome the industry's current crop of entrenched problems.
--Richard Read
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Make sure you check out our partner sites dedicated to focused news, reviews and more for Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, and the Toyota Prius.
Tags: Industry, Manufacturing, Big Three
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