We need to tax Toyota .

We are not even allowed to sell cars in japan and toyota bribes our consumer magazines and gives heavy donations to consumer reports to make our cars look bad.

IF the big 3 disappear watch you home value disappear.

Since when is a start up can go against a large company like Toyota.

NO look at tucker !!

Toyota needs to file for cheaper 11.

They destroy us jobs. They are a terrible car company make unsafe cars and are built cheap . Toyota cars now are not even reliable.

Al Gore as “energy czar” is intended as a joke, right? It could only be true in the sense that a corrupt czar oppresses his subjects while hypocritically living in extravagance; not to mention that he stands to make billions off of a carbon credit program that he would control.

As for technology yes there is always added costs but that should not be surprising. Honda has just found a way to produce hybrid technology for half of what it takes some of the other guys. Innovation is often left out of many arguments and innovation happens naturally if firms want to stay competitive. Cutting costs, use of different technologies are ways that car companies keep down costs of raw materials.

Look at fuel tax distribution which would have no affect on those who can afford the Big SUV’s and it may increase the desire for those types of inefficient vehicles due to increased distributional consequences. A more glorified status symbol. If fuel efficiency regulations where distributed more evenly among different classes of vehicles there is not the distinct differences in demand that AP talks about.

By the way I do agree with what AP said about “This isn’t a “Detroit-vs.-US” battle; we are all in this together”. But I will say disagreement of some for a bailout is shared by both liberals and conservatives even our current President is in this group.

Automakers (including Toyota) have fought CAFE because it is a poor law. It creates supply of fuel-efficient cars, but no demand (we had $1 gas just a few years ago). Manufacturers must practically give their cars away, unless they can take advantage of cheap foreign labor and/or a manipulated currency (think yen).

Increasing fuel standards without increasing demand will make the problem worse, because of the expense of improving fuel economy (lighter materials, hybrid powertrains, etc.). Contrary to public opinion, these costs won’t disappear once the technology becomes more common. The commodities needed (like copper, neodymium, etc.) will only become more expensive.

It would be like the government requiring McDonald’s use prime rib in their burgers. Customers wouldn’t want to spend much extra for it, so McDonald’s would have to “eat” the difference. Now, instead of $2 extra content, think $8000 for a hybrid system in a market with $2.00/gallon gas. Most customers are NOT going to pay $8000 extra for the automaker to break even, much less make a profit.

This isn’t a “Detroit-vs.-US” battle; we are all in this together (I thought that liberals, who mostly visit this site, would already assume this. Or do they only want the benefits of liberalism – not the costs?). If GM goes down, 2 million jobs (at least) go. If we are in a deep recession now, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Creating demand for fuel-efficiency with a higher fuel tax is the long-term solution for Detroit, jobs, and energy security. Al the rest is just fluff.

Now the Big-3 has fell in the trap. Anyway, when Fed gives them cash, it should ensure that the automakers start selling smaller high mileage cars. After all with no one is going to buy SUV’s anymore.

I guess Al Gore should be made the Energy Secretary and he will promote the renewables with vigor.