Detroit job market versus fuel economy: does it have to be this way?
The topic of the Michigan job market and economy is certainly a hot one right now. With the Big 3 going to the bargaining table with the UAW, plant closings and Detroit's declining market share, some insiders might view the proposed increases in fuel mileage as kicking Detroit while it's down. This is the stance that Michigan's governors are taking in talks going on as we speak at the National Governors Association convention. As you may be aware, thirteen states are planning on adopting the toughest emissions and mileage regulations that California is pressing for. While the governors of those thirteen states say that they can understand the problems that are facing Michigan, and Detroit in particular, that they are not going to be backing down from their beliefs that the climate and the environment is more important to them and their voters. This being politics, one might wonder if the tables might turn if their home industries were the ones that would be the most affected by the legislation, but that is a topic for another time.
We have brought you some articles which discuss the possible jobs that could result from tough mileage requirements. As readers of our site, we like to think of you as intelligent, open minded people. So, why not share your own thoughts with us. Do you think that the Michigan industrial job market or the auto industry in general is being unfairly targeted by these new mileage and emissions regulations?
[Source: Detroit News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
divisia 9:30PM (4/26/2008)
THE PANTONE G.E.E.T SYSTEM!! ITs a FUEL PROCESSOR.
IT RUNS YOUR CAR ON HYDROGEN AND OTHER ELEMENTS MADE WITHIN THE PLASMA REACTOR. THE REACTOR IS LOCATED WITHIN THE EXUAST. The reactor tube should be stainless 316 or more or aluminum, The exuast can be any type. Some of the exuast via welded on 3/8 stainless brake line is rerouted to a bubbler container( fuel tank) where it bubbles through 90% water or soda or anything with water in it and 10% gas or Ethanol, the exuast bubbles through this and is sucked out through the top ( like a bong, or water pipe) by the intake tube that goes to the LAWNMOWER CARBORATOR IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION,! this is PART OF your throttle control YOU STILL NEED YOUR ORIGINAL THROTTLE BODY FOR SOME FRESH AIR INTAKE, the hot water and gas vapors go into the PLASMA REACTOR AND ARE TURNED INTO HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN, The tube never mixes with exuast gases just goes into the exuast into its own tube and out the other side GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRRECTION, VERY IMPORTANT, THIS CUASES THE REACTION BECUASE THE HEAT AND MOLECULES ARE PASSING AT SUCH A HIGH RATE OF SPEED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRRECTION IN THE REACTOR THAT AND VERY STRONG MAGNETIC FIELD IS CREATED, THIS CUASES THE SEPERATION OF THE MOLECULES, IT EVEN MAKES REACTOR RODS MADE OF ALUMINUM MAGNETIC!). The tube comes out of reactor, (or REACTORS BECUASE YOU CAN HAVE UP TO 5 DIFFERENT ONES ON ONE CAR) into a four way split into four hoses one for each cylinder of your 1992 JDM ACURA INTEGRA VIA the intake manifold holes drilled 3/8dia by the injectors one inch or so,, and intake is PLUGGED WITH CORK with VACUMM RELIEF VALVES FOR FRESH AIR INTAKE. PLUG ALL HOLES ON INTAKE MANFOLD!! the external ingition coil needs to be used and hooked up to your constant power or switched to ACC to shut down the MAIN computer of the car becuase you dont need that anymore!! Adjust your valves and timing a little and your all good, ALSO YOU CAN USE YOUR ORIGINAL GAS TANK AS A BUBBLER!!!! 12 GALLON BUBBLER... THATS ABOUT 2 GALLON OF GAS PER TANK, 500 MILES PER TANK, 10 PRMS, becuase hydrogne is good for this tpye of car YOU NEED NO V-TEC anymore, instead you need to close the valves more, hydrogen implodes and then explodes, this plasma reactor makes hydrogen on the fly using bombardment of elecrons this goes right through the metel and seperates the water into hydrogen and oxygen then it is burned right now.
I have this installed on my car right now and it works like a mafia car... Dont try to race... you jsut might loose an engine, ya you tough guy with big engine... Hope you can afford to make it to the station, I dont even have to ge there I just go there somtimes becuase its funny to make jokes at people about I dont need gas and thay do... LOL And drive away for ever... The exuast is WATER AND OXYGEN!!!! RESEARCH PUAL PANTONE is the inventor of idea G.E.E.T. NOT SNAKE OIL YOUR THE ONLY SNAKES OIL COMPANYS!! PRAY ON SOMONE ELSE!! WE DONT NEED YOU ANYMORE!!! NEVER DID IM FINDING OUT!! POWER CONPANYS THATS A DUH YOUR NO LONGER NEEDED.
Reply
Tim 11:25AM (7/24/2007)
This Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter PICC . http://www.amazing2u.com/dei1 seems to be based on the GEET system. This system turns fuel into gas plasma before injecting it into the combustion chamber. Instead of 20% efficiency by spraying in liquid, they are getting 80% efficiency by injecting plasma so that all the available fuel can be combusted. Here is a quote from the Q&A on their website: “Our experience on properly modified engines, ranged from 2.5x mileage to 3.5x mileage using gasoline only. 20 mpg becomes 50 mpg to 70 mpg (an average of 3x or 60 mpg). We also discovered that a 50/50 mixture of gas and water worked great. We got super power at that mix. If you use half water, you use half as much gas. Thus 50 mpg becomes 100 mpg and 70 mpg becomes 140 mpg, etc.” This is a game changer if it’s true.
Reply
Chris 11:45AM (7/24/2007)
The auto industry does seem to be unfairly targeted, but the solution is to hit electric utility companies harder, not to loosen up on the big 3. The big 3 fight change tooth and nail, always with doom and gloom predictions, whether it's fuel economy standards or safety standards or emissions standards. The reason Detroit is doing so bad has to do with their vehicles, our consumers, bad government trade deals, and a lack of a single-payer gov't healthcare system. Not potential fuel economy standards. They're going to lose as many American union workers as they can anyway, with or without the fuel economy standards. I say let 'em have it. They deserve it. I feel for the people who work in Michigan, but don't kid yourself, GM/Ford/Chrysler are just looking for excuses to get rid of you. Canada has free healthcare, and Mexico has cheap non-union labor.
Reply
Mattias 12:01PM (7/24/2007)
#1: Oh, please! Checkout the specific energy of gasoline, read some thermodynamics and find out yourself how efficient modern engines work and under which condistions they cannot work efficiently. The snake oil cited surely will not help.
There is no better time than now to introduce diesel engines, compact euro sized cars, modern transmissions (like PSAs DSG which results in better mileage than their MT) NOW! Why? Importing fuel efficient cars from Europe or Japan is very expensive due to exchange rates. On the other hand GM's and Ford's European and Japanese subsidiaries do have the technology to produce more efficient cars. Bringing the tech to the US will probably help to keep jobs in the US.
So do it now and do not wait for a rising Dollar.
Reply
deja 12:32PM (7/24/2007)
Hey, I just created a new form that you can fill out by clicking on the link below.
http://yhybrid.wufoo.com/forms/hybrid-survey/
Reply
GoodCheer 1:42PM (7/24/2007)
deja, Anent your survey question 3 I just want to point out that there are already diesel hybrids on the road, getting the benefits of both (and the increased costs of both). They are currently buses, but the technology could apply perfectly well to passenger vehicles.
Reply
jeremie 2:33PM (7/24/2007)
This is what happens when people wakeup and the corporation are caught with their pants down. They work to get rich and not to help people. The big three are going to use this fire union staff and out source job to other countries. All of this when China is going start exporting cars to North-America.
Workers in Detroit will find other jobs, like the rest of us that get fired because a corporations down size to make more profit.
Socialism doesn't look to bad for the average worker. A job with, pay, health care, pension, security, and a life.
Reply
Mike Miller 4:18PM (7/24/2007)
the auto industry has been shrinking for years. we have already been outsourced to the hilt. I agree this is a great excusde for them to leave. The fact is, the same thing will happen if the price of fuel goes up. It is unpopular to increase the tax on fuel so we are working from the other end. They cannot make profits from small cars and did not prepare for the change in the market place. What bothers me is that they will be forced to make cars in europe that meet these increases or more. I don't see them crying to the EU?
If michigan legislature would get off their but and pass some renewable incentives/credits we could create jobs in this state.
Reply
Joseph 10:16PM (7/24/2007)
I do believe that the automakers are unfairly targeted. It's always cars that are bad for the environment. What about your food coming from brazil, or the clothes made with chemicals that poisin people in 3rd world countries, and and that stuff?
WEll, just because they're unfairly targeted doesn't mean we should be hard on them though!
Automakers are mostly just whiney babies who don't want to do things just because people tell them to.
ANd how on earth would increasing fuel economy standards hurt automakers? It's not gonna make people buy less cars. Just make your cars more efficient. It'll be hard. But it's worth it.
Reply
Louis Choquette 8:41PM (7/24/2007)
Chris, I think you have a valid point about Mexico having cheaper non-union labor and Canada having free health care and therefore the Domestic Big-3 has more of an incentive to build vehicles outside of USA. But I think there is another important factor - SUVs and big cars make more profit than small cars. This sounds like the same fix the Big-3 got themselves into during the oil crisis in the 1970's when they gave Japan a big piece of the automotive market share because the Big-3 wanted to sell big cars because they had higher profit margins but the Americans bought many small full efficient cars instead.
If we want to really fix this problem, then we're going to need to repeal NAFTA, institute universal health car, and the Big-3 will need to make safe, reliable, stylish, and reasonably priced vehicles that are very fuel efficient. GM is going in right direction with its Volt concept. Let's hope other's can follow suit by building plug-in electric hybrid cars that use energy independent fuels like biodiesel, ethanol, or hydrogen as range extenders.
I think the American public is smart enough to always buy good cars that are good for America and the environment if they are given smart products.
Reply
A.Brien 1:03PM (7/25/2007)
Abouth the picc on post number 1. By changing the fuel to a plasma gas they need to change the timing to permit the engine to not deteriorate himself. Plasma don't burn the same way. By timing there is ignition, air-fuel ratio, compression ratio, cooling temperature, so on. They forgot in my opinion to explain that. Beside that im sure it's possible but it's difficult to re-adjust an engine today because it's tightly tune by the manufacturer with a lot of electronics and each compagny/model is different. Ford did a shuttle bus with a 6.8 liters v8 internal combustion engine that run on hydrogen gas but they surelly extensivelly adapt and tune it before. If compagny like that can re-tune an engine after altering it's fuel then it will be more interresting. They will probably have to change the car computer to a programmable one.
Reply
Mark 9:18AM (7/26/2007)
The big three should be thankful for stricter laws...it is the wakeup call that could ultimately save them. Foreign automakers are already ahead of the game in fuel efficiency; why it is taking Detroit so long to shift their thinking from "bigger is better" is beyond me. Whenever I'm looking for a new car, I first look at the American models then ultimately buy an import. I want to support Detroit! Hopefully these laws will prompt them to realize that there is plenty of market share to be had. I'd like to imagine what would happen if instead of whining and kicking its feet, if the big three jumped ahead and said, "We're not only going to meet stricter regulations, we're going to surpass them." I'd be the first to get in line!
Reply