Automakers Thrived in the Pandemic. Many Are Now Struggling. Changing technology, political turmoil and competition from China are cutting into profits and forcing carmakers to cut jobs and close factories.

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The problem with automation is that moving parts wear out and the people who supply said specially machine items, much like drug dealers, make the first taste cheap. Price goes up after that.

“Toyota could be left behind if sales of electric vehicles grow faster than market analysts expect”

Don’t worry Toyota. GM and Ford on the other hand...😎

Tariffs
And less government regulation so that the automakers can make simpler and cheaper cars — of the type that consumers want to buy.

As I said after Trump won in 2016, we need to commit to buying American. Whether that means what's left of the "Big Three" or transplants, we need to bring those jobs back.

As unlikely as many of us thought this was, we got another chance. We need to make it work this time.

There’s a ton of videos on this subject on youtube......e.g. when Jeep and Lincoln are asking $110k ......WHAT??!! for their high level SUVs this is what they deserve.

Electric vehicles have fewer mechanical parts. Fewer points of failure.

Thrived “during the pandemic” or thrived “during the Trump administration”?

/rhetorical

In the article it points out that

Toyota relies more on hybrids and hasn’t retooled for electric. That could be a problem

GM on the other hand has a profitable electric vehicles divisions and its stock is actually up.

Thrived = couldnt travel, free money, got spent on auto

It will raise the price of cars. That’s as car makes will need to source from new local manufacturers

Toyota is coming out with a pickup you can buy for twelve grand. Sounds like quite a deal.

Thrived during the pandemic because taterhead was handing out checks like a drunken sailor.....people had disposable income so they ran out and bought cars that they eventually couldn’t afford.

1 out of every 5 auto loans are now being defaulted on and the vehicles repossessed.

hehehe. Electronics are far more vulnerable to the random glitch patterns that are described in the Chaos Theory than mechanical things.

“GM on the other hand has a profitable electric vehicles divisions and its stock is actually up.”

Aren’t they still getting a hefty subsidy for each car? No one really wants those things.

> Whether that means what’s left of the “Big Three” or transplants, we need to bring those jobs back. <

Right. As was mentioned elsewhere, the government simply must reduce burdensome regulations. Trump will certainly do that.

But there’s another problem. It’s greed. Union workers demand pay way out of line with their work. It’s not only them. Company executives are paid tens of millions of dollars for mediocre leadership. It’s hard to ask workers to be reasonable when their bosses are looting the company.

I don’t know how you fix that.

we need to commit to buying American. Whether that means what's left of the "Big Three" or transplants, we need to bring those jobs back.

No, we do not need to do any such thing.
1. Obama motors (GM) Who remembers what Obama and the Ds did - kept GM running, and especially kept BLACK dealerships running with big $$$$ handouts
2. Ford - MANY dealerships were closed due to NO Obama $$ for Ford
3. Chrysler/Ram - now owned by the FRENCH - FIAT/NISSAN and never a very good truck

Companies need to EARM my $$$ and at 60-80,000 as the starting price for a truck - this is the definition of INSANITY

Fewer mechanical parts, but far more electronics and software. That seems to be were a lot of the EV issues fall. Those are the issues my son’s EV fanatic friends complain about, a lot. I overhear them talk about how awesome their cars are but then keep talking about how it was fixed for this or that. It’s reminded me of VP in a company I worked with a long time ago. He had a Jaguar that was in the shop every few months but the car was awesome.