Chrysler CEO warns of battery dependence
The battery-powered EcoVoyagerChrsyler CEO, Bob Nardelli, told CNBC TV this evening that "great synergies" existed for automotive industry consolidation because of the financial environment, but he would not discuss a possible merger with GM.
Nardelli also claimed that new CAFE standards had created a "tremendous financial burden" on the automaker, and that it was important that America didn't turn foreign oil dependence into dependence on foreign batteries.
While I'd rather be dependent on foreign batteries than foreign oil any day of the week, if Detroit had taken some leadership on hybrid cars, this would be a non-issue.
Labels: CAFE, chrysler, Foreign Oil Dependency, Hybrid Vehicles
posted by Dahcredyns at
7:57 PM
8 Comments:
What a load of hogwash! This guy actually expects us to believe these mendacities?
I think he was trying to spin things as much as possible, as his job mandates.
Sounds like AIG, Lehman, Freddie Mac CEOs when they told the public everything was fine just before the crash.
From a company that makes crap and nothing but crude oil dependent vehicles, this guy is full of shit.
Fox would be proud of this douchebag.
so you're next car is going to be a Chrysler, then? jk
Regardless of what's happened until now in the auto industry, I think it would be smart for the US to take the move to Lithium batteries as a strategic opening in a market with huge growth potential.
Even the scarcity of Lithium plays to US advantage. Who better than the US to muscle control of supplies of something like Lithium? I'm not recommending it, but our military has been helping the US control the oil markets, and something like ensuring access to Lithium is right up their alley. What are the major Lithium producing countries?
Again I'm not condoning that imperialistic use of American military for economic power, but I don't think Lithium scarcity should scare away US investment. Scarcity is just a barrier to entry against future competitors if the US moves fast enough.
i don't know if it's scarcity of lithium stopping manufacturers. a123 supposedly has access to enough lithium to convert most of America's automobiles to lithium.
i think its mass producing these batteries in a way that's cost-effective for both manufactuers and automakers that is the biggest hurdle.
still, i'd very much like to see a healthy US battery industry as well. i'm all for some manufacturer incentives.
Indigo Incarnates
I hope Alcatholic is kidding about using the military to procure natural resources. That plan ends in disaster just about every time (Dick Cheney said, "The Iraq War will pay for itself!" Ha ha ha!!)
There have been over 600,000 Iraqi civilian casualties since the start of the war that was supposed to "pay for itself". That's a price tag too high for me. Oh, and all the war did was double the price of fuel.
Does anyone think waging war for lithium deposits will yield a different result?
and it's not just lithium that's currently mined in just a few places. most EVs use scare elements such as neodymium, which is pretty much only found in China.
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