Quick question for your collective amusement

[Dreamer Tatum]

At what point do the automakers call up oil companies, their supposed friends, and tell them enough is enough?

They worked together to create suburbia, but now the oil companies are collecting all the marbles. At this rate,
all domestic automakers will be insolvent, and oil company execs will be wiping their butts with gold leaf.

When do they go to war?

[BlooInBloo]

1. Heh indeedy.

[Warpy]

2. They don't.

They all made their money, from the suburban developers to the car execs.

The stockholders and homeowners are stuck holding the bag. Too bad for them.

The execs and developers are now retiring to the Caribbean.

[Overseas]

3. When did the automakers push for national health insurance

to remove that cost from their cars and even the playing field with other industrialized countries?

Since they've complained so long about how much health insurance adds to the cost of their cars, and their main competitors all have government-paid health care, surely they have been lobbying relentlessly for national health insurance?

[LaurenG]

4. Back in 03/04 I was involved in a letter writing campaign

to Ford motor company, begging that they focus on oil alternative vehicles. I never received a response from Ford. :( Someone's sleeping with big oil? :shrug:

[PoiBoy]

6. Interesting link here...

on alternative energy vehicles...

http://www.urbanwoods.net/resources/norways-think-electric-car-will-return-to-the-us-and-made-in-california/

<snip>
Norwegian automaker Think Global said Monday it planned to sell low-priced electric cars to the masses and will introduce its first models in the U.S. by the end of next year.
The battery-powered Think City will be able to travel up to 110 miles on a single charge, with a top speed of about 65 mph, the company said. It will be priced below $25,000.
<end>

Seems that while you were involved in your letter writing campaign, Ford was fully aware of alternative technology, but for some reason decided it was not a good investment...

<snip>
Ford Motor Co. was the longtime owner of Think but sold it in 2003. It was purchased by Norweigan investors two years ago, and began selling cars in Norway this year, with sales in Sweden, Denmark and Britain expected this year. The company said its annual production capacity in Europe is 10,000 vehicles.
<end>


:hi:

[Uncle Joe]

5. When electric cars become their predominant product. n/t