Ghosn says auto industry consolidation likely

Sunday 23rd November, 06:37 AM JST

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8 Comments

mareo2 at 12:32 PM JST - 23rd November

I think that is the time for the massive K-cars export strategy. But yeah... mergers is better than bankruptcy.
onewrldoneppl at 04:46 PM JST - 23rd November

the first company to mass-produce the solar-powered car will win "the winner takes all" stakes. time to let the oil industry and OPEC states twist in the wind.
dontpanic at 09:23 PM JST - 23rd November

K cars arent robust enough and the ability to generate enough solar power to move a full size car is many years away.

We'll see much more efficient deisel and petrol cars in the near term and in the medium term a hydrogen infrastructure is needed and we'll see fuel cell and other electric vehicles come to the fore. I predict the oil industry will be the ones to bankroll that infrastructure.
JohnBecker at 12:34 AM JST - 24th November

Here in the U.S., practical electric vehicles are problematic. Americans have spread out so far from the cities, they often live 30 or 40 miles from their workplaces. That's right on the edge of the maximum range of many electric vehicles. Add in errands or going out to lunch, and you have a real problem. It would be easy if recharging took no longer than pulling up to a gas pump and filling up, but we all know that's still just a dream.

The current hybrids are a good stopgap, and fuel cell/hydrogen cars appear to be the next step. Solar is a pipe dream, due to low output and uncertain "fuel" supply.

Until we have affordable, reliable and ubiquitous electricity from fusion generating stations and electric cars with swappable 100-mile (or more) battery packs, everything else is a temporary compromise.

Or we could make mass transit a viable option again, as Japan has always done.
helloklitty at 01:39 AM JST - 24th November

john becker: Americans have spread out so far from the cities, they often live 30 or 40 miles from their workplaces.

Maybe they could recharge during the workday.

Anyway, whose planning a purely electric-only car? I think it's going to be electric for the first 80-100 km then gas (the new hybrid).
zaichik at 09:33 AM JST - 24th November

in the medium term a hydrogen infrastructure is needed and we'll see fuel cell and other electric vehicles come to the fore. I predict the oil industry will be the ones to bankroll that infrastructure.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are certainly a major focus for NEDO research, and there do seem to be a number of joint projects with major companies in the oil industry. Problems at the moment include finding a solution to hydrogen embrittlement (whereby hydrogen leaches into the materials from which tanks are made, causing the tanks to become more fragile) and finding cheaper alternatives to platinum that can be used as catalysts.

A lot of progress has been made so far, but there is still a great deal to do before hydrogen fuel cell cars become a viable commercial option.
DXXJP at 01:16 PM JST - 24th November

We need Dr. Fission and a flux capacitor. Who ever gets that to the market will win.
usaexpat at 12:28 AM JST - 25th November

I put a bunch of money in Ford stock because I believe the bailout is inevitable and Ford is the best positioned of the big three to survive. Time will tell I suppose but I can't imagine that a 20 billion dollar loan will save GM when no one is buying cars from any maker.