Great point! We Americans like out cars and trucks big and powerful, no doubt. When Congress finally cleans our diesel fuel to the standards of diesel in Europe, then we will see an explosion of diesel technology here in the States. Right now, in Europe, for example, BMW has a diesel 5 Series called the 530d. Wih a 6 speed manual transmission it will get 0-100KmPH (0-62 MPH) in under 6 seconds, will top out at 155 MPH, and can knock down fuel efficiency over 45 MPG. That is what Autoweek got when they drove one in Germany, and they go that mileage cruising at 100 MPH! This is the wave of the future. Spark ignition engines will be replaced in all but a select few applications by compression ignition engines. They also have the advantage of being able to burn waste vegetable oil, which is certainly a plus, as that can be a hazardous waste, and is costly to dispose of.

 

It is actually the 535d you are referring to (I have driven one)
The 530d, is quite good, it just doesn't use the twin turbo technology that the 535d does (essentially the same engine apart from that though).

 

I agree that CEOs and upper management get obscene salaries and benefits; however if you look at it as a percentage of the companies gross it really isnt all that large. I have seen disputes between labor and management that claimed proposed benefit cuts would not have to happen if the CEO etc would accept lower salaries. In most cases the numbers just didnt add up. Also consider that a significant portion of upper managements compensation is in the form of company stock, such indirect compensation really doesnt affect the companies proftability. I believe that upper management is way overpaid but cutting their salaries is only a drop in the bucket.


The problem is that many of the factories, closed in this country and rebuilt overseas, were closed because they were older facilities that could not be economically upgraded. The cost of building a new plant in this country is enormous especially if the environmentalists get into the act, as they always do. Much cheaper and less problematic to build in a third world country, cheaper construction costs, few problems caused by environmentalists, little governmental interference OSHA, EPA, etc, and a cheaper labor supply once the facility is built. The problem of an educated/trainable workforce can be overcome with robotics all you have to do is teach the $3/hr worker how to turn the machine on and off.
I know that the price of gasoline is very high and so is the price of crude oil but a significant part of the reason the price of petroleum products are escalating so fast is that refinery production capacity in this country is maxed out because we haven't built a new refinery in over 30 years, environmentalist did that.
The US used to be a major supplier of steel around the world. We don't come close to meeting domestic requirements now because US steel mills are all old 9most built before WW II) and inefficient. Building new mills is to expensive Additionally steel industry unions were among those leading, in the 50s, the push for higher precedent setting wage and benefit packages that laid the foundation for the noncompetitive cost of labor in this country.
So now we import steel.

The only way we can ever re-establish a more favorable balance of trade is to make the cost of production in this country more competitive or to develop a product the whole world needs (think alternate energy sources)

 

Nevertheless, if thee company wants the skilled labor, the people who form a foundation on which to build the company and it's profits, to take one for the team, then the CEO's and such should have to sacrifice as well. I think the CEO's earnings should be direcly tied into the earnings of the employees. Might curb the "crush the peasants" attitude that some of these snobbish and inconsiderate ritzy types have.

 

Argo

Go back and read my ammended post.
I agree with you CEOs etc are way over paid but cutting their salaries by 2/3 wont solve the cost of labor problem

By the way can you document the "crush the peasant attitude" you spoke of