Chocolate Thunder
Well-Known Member
The reason for the innovation during the 70’s oil embargo/fuel crisis was that there simply wasn’t much gasoline to be had and when it was available it was far more expensive than the American consumer public was used to paying. Solution? Importing and purchasing Japanese imports. Enter Honda, Toyota, Datsun in huge numbers. Even with big import duties attached the cars were built better, more efficient, and still cheaper than the garbage the Big 3 had been providing Americans for decades. So the American auto industry was forced to adapt or die. It took a long time. Most 80’s cars were simply awful. Nothing Chrysler produced between the muscle car era and about 2000 was worth owning. It took quite a while for “American innovation” to catch up to where the rest of the world had been since the 60’s. The only reason they did is pure survival.They aren't good at innovating; hence, all the external motivations and even then they kick, scream, fight, and drag their feet (/point emissions controls, OBD-I). It took about three decades to innovate in response to the oil embargo (making weak engines to improve MPG isn't innovation). This is why Toyota and Honda are popular in the US.
I, for one, prefer to avoid the "messy middle".
mmmmhhhhmmmmm!
So it seems that as the entire rest of the world sees clearly that fossil fuels are phasing out, the US is still last in line to get with the program and stop whining and do something better. Electric cars have been around long enough for there to be full infrastructure in place to support them throughout the whole country. Nope. What about hydrogen cells? Any significant progress from the Big 3 on that? Not really. And I predict that there won’t be until they have to adapt or die. Their hand will have to be forced by government intervention or more likely, market factors. Then and only then will they do better.
Sponsored