Originally Posted by August

Nonsense. Had the big 3 put out electric cars a decade ago they would have lost their shirt because nobody would have bought them.

Originally Posted by Konovalov

You mean like today where car sales of these 3 US giants are down 30-45%. All car manufacturers across the world are struggling with depressed sales figures 10-15% less but the big 3 in America have experienced far worse drops in sales.

Originally Posted by Digital_Trucker

Amen! As much as we'd like to think otherwise, it isn't just the manufacturers who haven't proceeded on the "correct" path (not that electric is necessarily the way to go, considering the ecological aspects of battery production and disposal). The average American consumer doesn't want to drive a Prius, they'd rather drive a Hummer or big fat hot rod, or a huge V8 pickup. The only way you'll convince the American consumer that they need to drive more efficient vehicles is when the cost of gasoline gets so high that it forces us to move in the right direction or when there is no other choice but efficient vehicles to buy.

Originally Posted by August

And how many of these other car manufacturers owe their better performance to electric cars?

Originally Posted by Konovalov

I don't buy much into the electric car stuff just as I don't buy entirely into the "greedy unions to blame" thing either. Management at these three US car giants cocked up big time over the last 15-25 years. A poor and outdated business model, overly generous employee benefits thanks to unions, and a massive almost unprecedented slump is US auto sales are key reasons for why the big three are where they are now.

Originally Posted by Tchocky

Mitt Romney writing in today's NYT

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/op...romney.html?hp

Originally Posted by Tchocky

Mitt Romney writing in today's NYT

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/op...romney.html?hp

Originally Posted by Tchocky

Mitt Romney writing in today's NYT

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/op...romney.html?hp

Originally Posted by jpm1

i do not completly agree with that point of view , if the state's a shareholder he has a right of look and it can impose the restructuration

Originally Posted by August

Depends on the percentage of stock they hold. 51% is the absolute ruler over 49% in this game.

Originally Posted by DeepIron

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7740670.stm

Well, I guess the Big 3 CEOs will just have to fly back home in their $20,000.00 a trip private jets and work it out... They can explain also to the "rank and file" how NOT to impress Senators and Congressmen...