Wednesday February 15, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

dontpanic's past comments

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dontpanicJun. 13, 2009 - 02:45AM JST

Cleo - "If she's only being paid to make the tea, answer the phone and work the copy machine, there's no reason she should be expected to translate"

I appreciate your centiments but it cant hurt to demonstrate a little flexibility. Its no use complaining later because she's had no pay rise or promotion. If she can do it, a little translation work might even have made her day more interesting.

Posted in: New graduates show lack of zeal for jobs and job-hunting
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dontpanicJun. 12, 2009 - 04:28PM JST

"didn’t have to think long in rejecting the offer because it didn’t see any benefits"

They rememeber the trouble they had with selling Jeeps in the nineties. Im sure Honda mamagement have long memories.

Posted in: Honda says it has no interest in GM, Chrysler assets
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dontpanicJun. 12, 2009 - 01:15AM JST

"the money you save on fuel would pay the car off over time"
It would take 10 years to pay off the difference between this and the basic 660cc car with petrol savings.

Posted in: Mitsubishi unveils Y4.59 mil electric car
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dontpanicJun. 10, 2009 - 08:43PM JST

Let Fiat walk away and you'll find the Chrysler brand moving to China.

Posted in: High court blocks Chrysler sale to Fiat
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dontpanicJun. 07, 2009 - 05:41PM JST

There arent many markets where diesel is more expensive than petrol in most theres either parity or it's a little cheaper. In most respects though with current standard diesel cars capable of 50-60 miles per gallon and new models upto 80, when the diesel hybrid VW Golf Twin Drive comes out next year offering 90 to the gallon, will its green credentials offer that much more than a standard car?

Posted in: Toyota: Hybrids best 'green' car for some time
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dontpanicJun. 07, 2009 - 05:18PM JST

Badsey, if youre only using your car for 2 days every fortnight you might want to consider renting or car sharing. Cheaper, no depreciation worries and you wont kill your batteries from lack of use (a replacement battery pack will cost the better part of a million yen).

Like the iPhone I think people get it, but unlike the iPhone electric cars are just not developed enough yet to revolutionise to revolutionise the market. As Masuko san says, give it ten years or so.

Posted in: Mitsubishi unveils Y4.59 mil electric car
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dontpanicJun. 07, 2009 - 02:07AM JST

"how come that neither Masuko-san nor the incredibly competent journalists tell us which battery technology is used on this little thing?"

Looking at the gen on other websites the batteries are Lithium Ion made by Yuasa in Kyoto.

Dont see why some (Badsey) say battery cars free you from foreign oil. It seems to me you swap foreign oil for Peruvian lithium. And in many cases the foriegn oil still gets burnt in the power station.

Nope, still not an adequate alternative to efficient combustion engines.

Posted in: Mitsubishi unveils Y4.59 mil electric car
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dontpanicJun. 06, 2009 - 07:13PM JST

"Don´t understand why these electric/hybrid cars don´t solar panels on their roofs".
There are cars on the way with solar panels in the roof but these are only capable of powering the air con or stereo. You cant run a car off sunlight yet.

The iMiEV is about as good as it gets for electric cars at the moment. Its nippy enough, holds a better charge than most, can seat four adults and at current prices a full charge will save a lot over a 160k worth of gas. It is a good indicator of the limitations of the technology though. How many have space to charge a car at home? and even two hours charging at a public facility severly limits the cars useability. The price also is too high, even when reduced to two million its twice the price of a standard i which delivers pretty good gas mileage.

Now electric commercial vehicles, do-able now and will make a big difference in towns and cities.

Posted in: Mitsubishi unveils Y4.59 mil electric car
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dontpanicJun. 05, 2009 - 04:49PM JST

TheQuestion - the answers in the article

"On average, a hybrid excavator uses 25% less fuel than a conventional diesel-powered model"

Posted in: Komatsu to make hybrid excavators in China
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dontpanicJun. 05, 2009 - 04:34PM JST

Most small capacity diesel cars provide much much better fuel economy, emit less co2 in use and much less in production than the current hybrids. They are immensley reliable, will run all day at their most efficient, last longer, are simple to maintain and you dont need a plug socket in the street. In Japanese cities where diesels are not the best option, the new small turbo petrol cars again offer better green credentials than most hybrids.

Diverting money from pure electrics and fuel cell research to hybrids represents a sad lack of focus. Its no doubt brought on by pressure from politicians looking for an obvious quick fix and oil producers looking to maintain their power base as long as possible.

Posted in: Toyota: Hybrids best 'green' car for some time
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dontpanicJun. 03, 2009 - 05:37PM JST

It amazes me, the US has been the biggest proponent of globalisation and over the years the biggest profiter. Now, in the new reality when your businesses have been tested and found wanting, you throw your arms in the air and say it isnt fair.

The US is a mature market, the only way to gain share is to produce a product or service that adds value by being better in some way, or cheaper, or both. US car makers enjoyed good times domestically based on aged technology, a lack of investment and cheap and easy finance available to anyone regardless of ability to pay. Unfortunately the global financial meltdown, caused in large part by those poor lending practices, has changed the face of the motor business. In todays market the current GM domestic product has been proven unsuitable.

Protectionism at this time would tip GM over the edge. US makers cant respond with a domestic solution, look at Ford. GM should bite the bullet and accept that maybe it doesnt always get it right. The days of cheap energy and cheap money (cheap anything for that matter) have gone. When thats accepted whats left of GM in the US, having sold the family jewels, will hopefully start to make cars that exist in reality. If it can make those cars of a suitable quality they will sell in numbers and compete with the Japanese/Koreans/Europeans/Chinese/Indians abroad.

Posted in: Japan business leaders hoping for GM revival after bankruptcy
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dontpanicJun. 02, 2009 - 02:35AM JST

"American cars are craptastic"

"That must be why they're selling like hotcakes in China"

Its just a shame they couldnt sell enough in the US. As it is what gets sold in numbers in China are cheap and cheerful rebadged Daewoos and Opels.

Posted in: Japan sees no major trouble from GM bankruptcy
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dontpanicMay. 29, 2009 - 10:00PM JST

"go and thank all those dead mice who died for saving human lives"

Dont like vivisection but accept its sometimes essential, however this is Moreauesque. Genetically altering animals to entertain diseases is immoral.

Posted in: Japanese scientists create world's first transgenic monkeys
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dontpanicMay. 07, 2009 - 09:30PM JST

"Remember the Yugo?" - 1960s Fiat technology sold to the Soviets and built in a 1980s Yugoslavian factory. You cant hold Fiat responsible for that. Just pity the fool in the West who, with all the choice available at the time, actually spent their hard earned on one.

The best meal I ever had was in London but I've never seen anyone working hard in France.

Posted in: Fiat is out to create automotive powerhouse
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dontpanicMay. 06, 2009 - 11:26PM JST

Oh well if Wikipedia's your source and the governments engaged in machinations as part of "the show" then Im convinced.

Posted in: Is Chrysler's bankruptcy good news for Japan?
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dontpanicMay. 06, 2009 - 11:08PM JST

This is no joke, the copper was interfered with, he's probably scarred for life.

Posted in: Man arrested after using stun gun on police officer in Gunma
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dontpanicMay. 06, 2009 - 10:24PM JST

I can provide a little professional insight. Timelines within the industry are such that it takes years to design, test, revise and then market any new car and more especially the revolution you espouse. My feeling is that if the US makers are ready to go to market why have we seen so little product and why is the US government looking so closely before providing its citizens hard earned cash?

Unless your hopes are pinned on the GM Volt, but if you knew anything about the market you would know its no revolution. Blind faith is no substitute for pragmatism.

Posted in: Is Chrysler's bankruptcy good news for Japan?
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dontpanicMay. 06, 2009 - 07:08PM JST

Saruzenki - Tata intend to market an electric version of the Nano.

Your national pride is laudible but illinformed. There are few global makers that dont have electric vehicles either in test or penned. Its debatable that the US has any lead in electric vehicle technology and no-one has all the answers yet.

Should Chrysler go down (hopefully unlikely now) there would be a huge impact on the many Japanese companies that supply it. In the short term that would be no consolation for the remaining suppliers as the whole point of the collapse is there's little market anywhere right now to sell cars or parts to.

Posted in: Is Chrysler's bankruptcy good news for Japan?
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dontpanicMay. 06, 2009 - 06:02PM JST

My missus just asked if that's the menu.

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dontpanicMay. 05, 2009 - 11:13PM JST

In a democracy if the authorities use torture they will lose the trust of the citizenry. Its a corrosive process, after all, if the authorities are happy to stretch the rules of decency for their foreign enemies, how long before they misbehave when dealing with their home grown ones?

Posted in: Even if it works, U.S. shouldn't use torture