jpd80

I gave him cause by mentioning the president but regardless, I think Obama had a mandate for change and strong advice from treasury that transcends the petty politics of a few Southern Senators. LS can't understand that this whole thing is far and above just letting the market do a simple correction. If only it were that simple, we could let a few companies roll over and save trillions - BUT IT"S NOT. Many innocent people risk being seriously burned in this thing which was caused by a few greedy spivs messing with a market with scant control and regulatory monitoring. It is way past trusting a deregulated market to do anything - peoples lives and a whole country is at stake.

Scot comes good for Dr. Evil:

Again, let's look at the screaming assertion using TStag's reference article: Actually you might like quoting the Land Rover chief in Germany: Updated Wednesday, December 31, 2008 11:07 am TWN, AFP Land Rover sales fell by 18 percent this year

Maybe he writes for TTAC?

If Ford and Volvo help Chery "back door" Koreans like Hyundai and Daewoo, I'm all for it.

This is not about GM, this is about the people they will hurt if they are allowed to go bankrupt. You seem to continuously fail to grasp that point. Lending money to GM outside Chapter 11 is the start of either severe downsizing to profit for GM or a controlled industry exit strategy. Either way that gives the suppliers and creditors time to reorganize their business with GM before the gates slam shut in their face. If the government let GM go Chapter 11 the cost to the wider community would impact way beyond the auto industry, the president would have failed millions of people. He cannot let that happen in the first 100 days of office.

I'm thinking $2.5 to $3 billion max. It could be possibly sweetened for Ford by picking their Chinese partner Changan and negotiating long term engine supplies and joint platform and engineering support.

The other side of the coin is with debt restructuring, the likelihood of bankruptcy diminishes. So if a fair whack of debt is wiped by diluting the stock, it turns Ford stock into a slower but more stable investment. If something spectacular happened with suppliers and Gm crashed, I think Ford now has contingencies in place, that's why they've being distancing themselves lately.

The problem with GM's plan is the guys running GM. In the past they have been inept at reading the market and making changes quickly and effectively. Those same people now present a plan full of blue sky and expect treasury to roll over and say yes?

From what Ralph was saying before, the stock will now be that diluted that any anticipated up tick to $4 in a couple of years may only be something like $2.50 or so. If that's the case, anyone buying Ford shares should be in for the long haul otherwise hop on to some other quicker recovering stock for a while until a Ford upswing comes.

People think that all GM has to do is enter their submission by March 31 and all is done/finished. That is only the beginning of negotiations and I can see further conditions applying to lending once the full layout of GM's restructuring plans are dissected. If the team has been too optimistic with recovery SAAR numbers, the whole plan is back out the window. If the government feels it's public money is in peril, they are compelled to take measures to ensure that is not the case, either by modifying the agreement (a new team at GM?) or by withdrawing the loan offer.

I take it Hawaiians are like Maoris only bigger?

Then how can you argue if you don't know what he said there. Richard set up his blog because he was tired of explaining simple facts over and over to people like you that turn up every couple of months and expound their propaganda on threads like this.

I think it says more about the dealer's ineptitude to fix some simple yet annoying glitches. I gather this is an unexpected and rare example of faults from a usually high quality product. Park it in front of the dealer with a huge sandwich board sign on it, you'll get a quick response.

So how much debt can Ford convert to shares in a practical sense, is the $9 billion in unsecured loans and stock transfer to VEBA about the limit or is more possible?

You wanna volunteer as Lutz' booking agent? At least you'd get a share in the next golden parachute...

Let's put that screaming headline in context:

Or maybe an innocent 5.4 liter?

All valid points, it would take: - Standardization of batteries and national retail chains - Fast charge set up to have quick 1-2 hour turnaround (Lithuim Ion) - Full analysis and repair station to change individual cells. - National standard for battery life and fees levied for electric charge (a bit like gas prices) Could you imagine a near fully automated station that only takes credit cards with only 1 or two staff on duty to monitor and do repairs to batteries and some customer service. It's wonderful thought but no matter how many problems and solutions you and I find, unless someone is willing to make a major departure on energy policy and vehicle design, it will remain a fanciful dream.

The batteries load and unload from under the car via twist locks (similar to shipping containers). On arriving at a charge station, the cars wheels follow deep groves to a halt point, a laser guided battery probe rises from underneath and measures remaining charge. After a credit card swipe, the battery is undone and taken down underneath the charge station to a recharge rack by a shuttle. The same shuttle then grabs a fully charged battery from the rack and installs it in the car. Change over time is less then refueling your gasoline car and the best part of it is you buy the battery pack once like a propane cylinder and just pay for the recharges.

I'll try that again, you know how you get a fixed monthly plan and free calls with mobile phones, how about free fast recharges or quick change battery packs in the city or if you do long distance runs?

Escape, maybe GM should call their's the Lutz.

I think Ford is on a mission, GM can't get out of the way quick enough......

The going concern is also based on GM's assumptions about the market recovering and sales being higher than others forecast. If that is not the case then GM's viability is in peril. I don't think it's so much debt and repayments crushing GM but a lack of revenue.

Hook up a politician and get all the free hot air you want.