Will This Pandemic Be the Nail in the Coffin for Some Automakers?

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Hopefully Volvo won't make the cut and suffer the same result of Saab after the 2008 financial crisus.
They got through by the skin of their teeth!


Volvo is a subsidiary of Zhejiang Geely Holding. I don't think Geely is going to let them die-off.

 

[WylieCoyote]

Frankly, I don't see how Ford has managed to prop up Lincoln this long. I never see one on the road, and their offerings are lackluster, at best. But who can see anything for all the gray Highlanders and Camrys?

China is propping up Buick, so what's to stop GM from killing the U.S. arm of Buick?

 

[tbm5690]

Originally Posted by WylieCoyote
Frankly, I don't see how Ford has managed to prop up Lincoln this long. I never see one on the road, and their offerings are lackluster, at best. But who can see anything for all the gray Highlanders and Camrys?

China is propping up Buick, so what's to stop GM from killing the U.S. arm of Buick?


Lincoln's brand new stuff is really good, I like where they're going. I agree that Buick should be killed off in the US... not sure anyone would miss it either.

 

[Rmay635703]

Originally Posted by tbm5690
Originally Posted by WylieCoyote
Frankly, I don't see how Ford has managed to prop up Lincoln this long. I never see one on the road, and their offerings are lackluster, at best. But who can see anything for all the gray Highlanders and Camrys?

China is propping up Buick, so what's to stop GM from killing the U.S. arm of Buick?


Lincoln's brand new stuff is really good, I like where they're going. I agree that Buick should be killed off in the US... not sure anyone would miss it either.


Every 90's sedan in Wisconsin is a Buick (at least that is how it feels some days)

Buick still seems to sell in the Midwest, which is probably 0.0001% of the US auto market

 

[Carmudgeon]

In 2019, Volvo had its best year of U.S. sales for quite some time, one of its three largest markets.

Its plant in South Carolina opened in 2018, and is the sole source for the S60. It will make the next generation XC90, and they are planning to build an accompanying battery factory to support it.

Geely treats Volvo as an asset and investment, rather than something to suck blood from, as the previous owner did. And it's not lead by a former furniture salesman like its previous owner is.

While the world will endure some rough waters for the next few years, and nothing is guaranteed, Volvo is much better positioned to ride it out than it was in 2008.

 

[wag123]

Originally Posted by Hermann
Worried about Mazda here in the US
Don't worry, they aren't going anywhere. They have very good products and a loyal customer base, and they are hooked-up with Toyota. Toyota has very deep pockets. Their newly constructed joint assembly plant in Alabama is scheduled to begin production in early 2021.

 

[aquariuscsm]

All car companies have gotten so boring. There's honestly no car that's being currently made that I can say I truly like. Everything made these day is totally cookie cutter looking.

 

[dwcopple]

Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
All car companies have gotten so boring. There's honestly no car that's being currently made that I can say I truly like. Everything made these day is totally cookie cutter looking.

what would you like to see that's not available? Maybe you just need to look beyond the BIG3. Maybe a KIA Stinger would fire you up...or the new Alpha Romeo

 

[Elkins45]

Originally Posted by wag123
Originally Posted by Hermann
Worried about Mazda here in the US
Don't worry, they aren't going anywhere. They have very good products and a loyal customer base, and they are hooked-up with Toyota. Toyota has very deep pockets. Their newly constructed joint assembly plant in Alabama is scheduled to begin production in early 2021.


I really hope that's the case. In recent years I've become a big Mazda fan. My 2016 Mazda6 has been a real joy so far.

 

[Saabist]

Originally Posted by Carmudgeon
In 2019, Volvo had its best year of U.S. sales for quite some time, one of its three largest markets.

Whether that trend continues depends on whether people will continue buying them when the company stops producing cars with conventional engines. (Volvo announced that all new models will be fully or party electric. I would not consider anything like that even if I were inclined to buy a new car.)

 

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
All car companies have gotten so boring. There's honestly no car that's being currently made that I can say I truly like. Everything made these day is totally cookie cutter looking.


A 2020 Corvette I saw in person turning around in front of house slowly. Amazing mid engine sports car especially for price.

 

[Andrew1972]

VW USA already decided they will loose money for 2020.

Sales apparently strong with Atlas/Tiguan but that got killed in March.

 

[dwcopple]

Originally Posted by madRiver
VW USA already decided they will loose money for 2020.

Sales apparently strong with Atlas/Tiguan but that got killed in March.

I bought a new Jetta in April

 

[MaximaGuy]

Auto makers need to change and change real fast - they need to start exploring and investing in EV and make EV vehicles cheap.

Yes Tesla has won but there is no harm in being second given the engineering power of vehicle design and servicing traditional auto makers have to their advantage.
Also autos need to be made with love and amazing reliability they need to last w/o a hitch for 200K, they are expensive to own.
There are tons of things auto makers need to do and do fast - borrow money and invest in EV, reduce Wall Street returns, dump all existing overhead and commitments, reduce models and departments (what a POS to have a Yukon, Escalade and Tahoe), defang engineering managers, shut down plants or sell it to Tesla etc etc.

They never learnt a lesson from 2008 bailouts they are on the verge of oblivion with EV. Change and change quick.

 

[4WD]

Lot of that is true … but a banker here walks past the $60k Tahoe to buy a $90k Escalade every year … and GM surely did not spend an extra $30k building that black one on the same line.

 

[emg]

Originally Posted by MaximaGuy
Auto makers need to change and change real fast - they need to start exploring and investing in EV and make EV vehicles cheap.


That's kind of like telling aviation manufacturers they need to invent antigravity real fast.

Most of the cost of a cheap EV is in the batteries, so you're basically saying they need to quickly invent battery technology that's much better and cheaper, which is a slow process which has involved a lot of smart researchers for decades. Until they do, there won't be an EV which can compete with a Honda Civic on cost, capabilities and convenience.

Back more on topic, there are too many automakers and not enough market. Some are going to go to the wall, but that was true even before governments decided to shut down the world economy.

 

[Saabist]

Originally Posted by MaximaGuy
Auto makers need to change and change real fast - they need to start exploring and investing in EV and make EV vehicles cheap.

I don't see why. Electric cars have so many limitations and drawbacks that I certainly would not consider purchasing one. People aren't exactly storming manufacturers demanding them.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted by Saabist
Originally Posted by MaximaGuy
Auto makers need to change and change real fast - they need to start exploring and investing in EV and make EV vehicles cheap.

I don't see why. Electric cars have so many limitations and drawbacks that I certainly would not consider purchasing one. People aren't exactly storming manufacturers demanding them.



That's because gas prices RIGHT NOW are cheap.

Some of us were around in the 70's when people couldn't get enough of Toyotas (junk at the time) and VW bugs that would get decent millage. Then American car companies put out real junk called the Chevette, Pinto, and Vega and people couldn't buy them fast enough.

THEN-GM and Ford both admitted they couldn't build small fuel efficient cars-in North America (save the Ford Escort). So GM started a new division called GEO and imported Japanese cars rebadged as Chevrolets. And Ford-started importing from their European operations vehicles that got great mpg-but not suited to American roads or tastes.

Yea-the 70's were lots of fun...and that is how the Japanese got their toehold in the United States. When the Japanese saw their home market vehicles not well received by Americans-they actually CAME BACK with decent vehicles.

So-don't discount EV's/Hybrids, etc. in the future.

Remember Tesla is America's largest auto maker when it comes to electric cars-and they are not cheap.

Those who forget history............................

 

[pezzy669]

Originally Posted by Saabist
Originally Posted by MaximaGuy
Auto makers need to change and change real fast - they need to start exploring and investing in EV and make EV vehicles cheap.

I don't see why. Electric cars have so many limitations and drawbacks that I certainly would not consider purchasing one. People aren't exactly storming manufacturers demanding them.


What are the "so many" limitations and drawbacks outside of not being able to drive cross country with easy fuel ups? I'm honestly very curious.

 

[Saabist]

Originally Posted by CKN

That's because gas prices RIGHT NOW are cheap.

BTW, I was around Some of us were around in the 70's when people couldn't get enough of Toyotas (junk at the time) and VW bugs that would get decent millage. Then American car companies put out real junk called the Chevette, Pinto, and Vega and people couldn't buy them fast enough.

So-don't discount EV's/Hybrids, etc. in the future.

Remember Tesla is America's largest auto maker when it comes to electric cars-and they are not cheap.

No, the lack of interest in electric cars has nothing to do with today's low price of gasoline. It has to do with cost and functional limitations, which are quite severe in a lot of use cases. Most people had little interest in them even when gasoline was more expensive. (I am one of the "some of us" that was around in the 1970s. Toyotas and VWs were most definitely not junk in comparison with their domestic competion.)

Perhaps electric cars are your future but they are not mine. I can guarantee you that there will never be one in my driveway.

I have zero interest in Elon Musk or Tesla for a variety of reasons that I'm not going to get into here.