New Truck and SUV Assembly Plant Announced!

[Gavin Allan]

Indian automaker Mahindra to open Ohio factory.



The Wall Street Journal (2/12, Stoll) reports that Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.'s U.S. distributor "plans to assemble tens of thousands of light pickup trucks annually in Ohio starting in 2009, and to start selling a range of hybrid vehicles in the U.S. by 2010." The company "has been working on a plan to enter the U.S. market next year by offering" two pickup trucks and one SUV. "By assembling pickups from kits in Ohio rather than ship them as completed vehicles from India, Mahindra will be able to avoid a 25 percent tax that is tacked on to pickup trucks imported to the U.S." Other companies "have avoided this tax, known as the 'Chicken Tax,' by partnering with U.S. automakers and using their production facilities in North America or simply selling a U.S. automaker's light pickup truck under their own name brand."



Bloomberg (2/12, Ramsey) adds that "Mahindra has signed up 300 initial U.S. dealers and has a sales goal for its first full year of 45,000 trucks." While "Mahindra will begin selling trucks and SUVs in a U.S. market where sales of both types of vehicles have been falling," officials expect "the low cost of the trucks and the added fuel- efficiency [to] boost U.S. sales to 100,000 vehicles by 2012."

 

[Gypsy me]

the truck looks like it has a jeep front end and a flemsy bed...

 

[Jeff C]

Ahhh, gotta love loopholes. No wonder the US manufacturers can't compete.





let the discussion begin

 

[Shaun Tucker]

that truck is ugly and IMO will not do well in the US market...Although, I agree that Ford needs to start a shift towards creating more fuel efficient cars, as Toyota and Honda and other Foreign car companies have with the majority of their line-up. If anybody has seen "An Inconvenient Truth" with Al Gore, he touches on this point and illustrates how American Automakers have stubbornly continued to produce these fuel guzzlers while Imports have turned towards fuel efficiency. It leaves no wonder as to why the future of GM and Ford are uncertain..

 

[Dreman]

American manufacturers make big cars and trucks because Americans have been buying big cars and trucks. Little cars sit on dealers lots, so dealers don't stock them. Japanese manufacturers don't sell their biggest vehicles in Japan. They made them to sell here. They don't sell their smallest cars here, either.



Now that gas prices have jumped, some Americans will start buying smaller cars and trucks again. There are a lot of Americans, though, that will continue to buy the biggest thing they can afford.

 

[Tom Schindler]

If anybody has seen "An Inconvenient Truth" with Al Gore, he touches on this point and illustrates how American Automakers have stubbornly continued to produce these fuel guzzlers while Imports have turned towards fuel efficiency.

What Al Gore conviently forgets to mention is that the Japanese government REQUIRES thier automakers to produce small fuel efficiant cars while the American industry is consumer driven. To top it off, the Japanese government substidizes their automotive industry, so the Japanese get paid to design and build small cars then they get to sell them here and be considered hero's.



America is just too stupid to actually see what is going on. We allow our industry to get thrown at the wolves while we praise and thank other nations that exploit our free market.



Americans WANT large SUV's. We think they want small cars, but the numbers show otherwise. Even with gas at record highs, the majority of vehicles sold are larger cars and SUV's.



The smaller cars are gaining ground. It might sound like a 50% gain is "leaps and bounds", but when you got from 2% market share to 3% market share, it isn't that much in the big picture.





Tom

 

[Shaun Tucker]

great point.. what I forgot to mention is that I, too, would prefer a larger vehicle. I know that the Japanese auto makers largely make the smaller, fuel efficient cars and that these are their big sellers. I didn't know they were required to do so across the sea and then get lauded as heroes over here.. How fuel efficient is the Ridgeline and the Tundra, even the Tacoma?? when compared with the trucks, I'd say Ford isn't doing half-bad, what with the Hybrid escape. I can't speak for the newer engines, but the 4.0L V6 is quite a guzzler and the 2.3L 4 cyl I had in my ranger was great on gas! Either way, I'm stickin with this truck and I have no plans on trading it in for something that isn't as expensive @ the pumps. So, Caymen you are probably correct! If only they could make a fuel efficient ST without taking the balls out of it.. one day, one day...

 

[Chris Rice]

I cant find the picture of that truck...where is it? But I saw this, looks interesting....



Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.TO) said Sunday that it will introduce diesel-engine models in the U.S. market in an effort to offer low-emission vehicles.



The Japanese car maker will also roll out plug-in gasoline-electric hybrids with lithium-ion batteries in the U.S. by 2010.



Toyota will launch the Tundra pickup truck and the Sequoia minivan, which will be powered by a new diesel V8 engine, “in the near future,” Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe said Sunday.

 

[Ron Tobias]

Looks like that "assembly in Ohio" is going to take place at the Jeep plant (Toledo Ohio). It appears that Chrysler LLC is looking to sell the Jeep brand to the Indian company(see link).

 

[blksn8k]

What Al Gore conviently forgets to mention is that the Japanese government REQUIRES thier automakers to produce small fuel efficiant cars while the American industry is consumer driven. To top it off, the Japanese government substidizes their automotive industry, so the Japanese get paid to design and build small cars then they get to sell them here and be considered hero's.



America is just too stupid to actually see what is going on. We allow our industry to get thrown at the wolves while we praise and thank other nations that exploit our free market.

I agree completely. And stupid Americans can't see past the nose on their face. God forbid this country ever needs it's former industrial might because it is slowly but surely being destroyed and no one gives a rat's arse. Just try and buy an American made appliance or electronic device. The auto industry will be next unless the American people wake up. The notion that we need to support the economies of our cold war allies has outlived it's usefulness. Would they do the same for us? I doubt it.

 

[KentheREALone Z]

So why is Ford eliminating the Ranger, and Toyota is marketing their biggest freakin pickup ever???

 

[WXMotorSports DecalsPartsAccs]

And, Gore wrote that article in his motor pool of Suburban vehicles that protect him on a daily basis.

 

[Richard Weihert]

the way I see it, the gubment get tax $$ from every gallon of gas sold. what would be the point of reducing the gallons sold by way of efficiency?

 

[Tom Schindler]

Would they do the same for us? I doubt it.

I know Japan will not. Honestly, how many Exports are sent to Japan? How many go from Japan to the USA?





Tom

 

[Josh Langel]

sounds like america's problem... not japans.

 

[Tom Schindler]

That is right, it is America's problem. Japan takes care of thier own. If we did that here, we would be called names.





Tom

 

[TomT]

Americans WANT large SUV's. We think they want small cars, but the numbers show otherwise. Even with gas at record highs, the majority of vehicles sold are larger cars and SUV's.

True for now but eventually that's going to change. Especially if the price of oil/gas continues to rise and federal mandates on mpg keep increasing.

 

[gary s]

tom,

toyota builds vehicles in the states, providing employment for U.S. citizens. they don't have to do that.

bottom line, i am spending "x" amount of money on a product, i dont care where it is built as long as i get the best for my money. sorry to sound selfish, but it's realilty