Category Archives: Auto Industry
Keystone Killed
After seven years of dithering, President Obama killed the Keystone pipeline on Friday. He said the project wouldn’t make a meaningful long term contribution to the economy.
Matt Lewis in The Week explains the real reason the president took so long. Labor unions were for the pipeline and environmentalists were against it. Labor isn’t happy:
We are dismayed and disgusted that the president has once again thrown the members of [The Laborers’ International Union of North America], and other hard-working, blue-collar workers under the bus of his vaunted ‘legacy,’ while doing little or nothing to make a real difference in global climate change. His actions are shameful. [LIUNA, via The Hill]
New Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the slap in the face more gracefully.
Warren Buffett took the news gracefully too. Oil not shipped by pipeline will have to he shipped by train. He owns the trains.
Emissions from Volkswagen
Reuters reports that Volkswagen will “repair” up to 11 million cars rigged to give misleading emissions info to inspectors. The “fix” will cost $6.5 billion.
Emissions
The evil geniuses at VW figured out a way for its diesel emissions systems to recognize when they were being tested. During a test the system stifles emissions according to government standards. The rest of the time the system turns itself down or off, allowing for great mileage and more power but higher emissions.
Who but the greenest among us is going to want to bring his car in for that repair?
GM Bailout Airbag
It looks like GM might avoid liability for some lawsuits over it’s ignition switches. The bankruptcy judge ruled the company can’t be sued for anything that happened before the government bailout.
Gas War
The world wide gas war is leading to the biggest decline in inflation in 6 years according to WSJ.
Business Insider says Tesla is Tanking.
No Acceptable Business Case
The Chevy Cobalt is being recalled because the ignition shuts off while the vehicle is running! None of the solutions to fix it represented an “acceptable business case“, according to General Motors. Thirteen people have died so far. GM warns this can be caused by too heavy a key ring.
So, as your life passes before your eyes while barreling downhill at 80mph without power, or airbags, please keep in mind… your key ring is too damn heavy.
Acceptable Business Case
On the other hand you could have kept your key ring and GM could have fixed the problem with a 57 cent part.
At least they’re not blowing your bail out money.
