Hybrids eco benefits continue to be over rated.
Hybrid car to be built at Altona
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/altona-goes-green/2008/05/02/1209235157161.html
MELBOURNE is set to become the new production home of Toyota's hybrid Camry, with negotiations between Australia and Japan likely to conclude by mid-year.
While the high-level talks are not yet wrapped up, sources have told The Age that senior Toyota executives in Tokyo are now strongly behind making the company's Altona plant the regional production base for the green Camry, provided the right government incentives are secured.
The Federal Government is working towards agreement from Toyota in time for an announcement by the end of July, a timetable that would approximately coincide with the release of the impending Bracks review of the automotive sector, which reports on July 31.
Senior Victorian cabinet ministers, armed with the Government's $500 million green car fund, have been duchessing Japanese diplomatic officials and Toyota executives in an effort to secure the vehicle for Altona.
Premier John Brumby has also been active in the discussions, meeting Tokuichi Uranishi, executive vice-president of Toyota in Japan, recently in Melbourne during the Grand Prix. A spokesman for Mr Brumby told The Age last night: "The Premier met with Toyota on his recent trip to Japan. The Premier has made no secret that he would like to see hybrid cars built in Victoria."
Federal Innovation Minister Kim Carr confirmed negotiations with Toyota were continuing "fruitfully".
The green Camry is currently in production in Japan and the United States. Melbourne's Altona plant produces the conventional petrol-powered Camry and Aurion cars.
Both the Trade Minister, Simon Crean, and Senator Carr have visited Japan this year to hold talks with senior executives. Senator Carr has strongly denied recent industry speculation that Toyota had been offered the lion's share of the $500 million green car fund, plus future government fleet deals, in order to get the Japanese executives on board with hybrid production at Altona.
Former Victorian premier Steve Bracks, who is leading the automotive review, is considering the current mix of the billions in assistance provided to Australia's car makers. It is believed Mr Bracks will consider expanding the pool of funds offered to the industry for green production beyond the $500 million already on the table from Canberra.
But the automotive review has caused disquiet within government ranks because of the Government's decision to bypass the Productivity Commission. The Treasury had advised the Government that the Productivity Commission was the best agency to conduct the review.
Economic ministers, most particularly Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner, have been forthright in their arguments that the Federal Government must not re-embrace tariff protection after the Hawke and Keating governments' reforms of the '80s and '90s.
Other senior ministers have also expressed concern that the review not be used as a springboard to increase funding to companies already heavily subsidised by the taxpayer. However, there is strong support for securing the production of a hybrid vehicle for Australia.
MELBOURNE is set to become the new production home of Toyota's hybrid Camry, with negotiations between Australia and Japan likely to conclude by mid-year.
While the high-level talks are not yet wrapped up, sources have told The Age that senior Toyota executives in Tokyo are now strongly behind making the company's Altona plant the regional production base for the green Camry, provided the right government incentives are secured.
The Federal Government is working towards agreement from Toyota in time for an announcement by the end of July, a timetable that would approximately coincide with the release of the impending Bracks review of the automotive sector, which reports on July 31.
Senior Victorian cabinet ministers, armed with the Government's $500 million green car fund, have been duchessing Japanese diplomatic officials and Toyota executives in an effort to secure the vehicle for Altona.
Premier John Brumby has also been active in the discussions, meeting Tokuichi Uranishi, executive vice-president of Toyota in Japan, recently in Melbourne during the Grand Prix. A spokesman for Mr Brumby told The Age last night: "The Premier met with Toyota on his recent trip to Japan. The Premier has made no secret that he would like to see hybrid cars built in Victoria."
Federal Innovation Minister Kim Carr confirmed negotiations with Toyota were continuing "fruitfully".
The green Camry is currently in production in Japan and the United States. Melbourne's Altona plant produces the conventional petrol-powered Camry and Aurion cars.
Both the Trade Minister, Simon Crean, and Senator Carr have visited Japan this year to hold talks with senior executives. Senator Carr has strongly denied recent industry speculation that Toyota had been offered the lion's share of the $500 million green car fund, plus future government fleet deals, in order to get the Japanese executives on board with hybrid production at Altona.
Former Victorian premier Steve Bracks, who is leading the automotive review, is considering the current mix of the billions in assistance provided to Australia's car makers. It is believed Mr Bracks will consider expanding the pool of funds offered to the industry for green production beyond the $500 million already on the table from Canberra.
But the automotive review has caused disquiet within government ranks because of the Government's decision to bypass the Productivity Commission. The Treasury had advised the Government that the Productivity Commission was the best agency to conduct the review.
Economic ministers, most particularly Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner, have been forthright in their arguments that the Federal Government must not re-embrace tariff protection after the Hawke and Keating governments' reforms of the '80s and '90s.
Other senior ministers have also expressed concern that the review not be used as a springboard to increase funding to companies already heavily subsidised by the taxpayer. However, there is strong support for securing the production of a hybrid vehicle for Australia.
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Sure, let's continue to prop up inefficient industries for the sake overpaid union jobs. What a crock. If the ALP-supporting dimwits want their aussie made hybrid then they can pay the full production price of $100,000 or whatever it will be. I'll have mine imported from Japan for $40,000, thanks.
Besides, I though we had a skills shortage. We obviously suck at building cars so ditch the workers and get them apprenticeships in plumbing. Oh, but we can't do that because that's another union closed-shop. What a screwed-up mentality.
Besides, I though we had a skills shortage. We obviously suck at building cars so ditch the workers and get them apprenticeships in plumbing. Oh, but we can't do that because that's another union closed-shop. What a screwed-up mentality.
C'mon, let's not let facts get in the way of symbolism!!!Hybrids eco benefits continue to be over rated.
^^^
I dont even know where to begin?
You are a nonsensical nutter?
I dont even know where to begin?
You are a nonsensical nutter?
hybrids have the potential of being quite the fiasco, for various reasons, well far be it from me to criticise labor for distorting market economics to produce these things here....
lets hope that next generation hybrids turn out to have a better set of trade-offs than the current one.
lets hope that next generation hybrids turn out to have a better set of trade-offs than the current one.
I prefer diesel cars. Unfortunately diesel is more expensive then gasoline in Australia.
And you know the facts? i doubt it. The Prius uses the most polluting batteries in the world and people stillC'mon, let's not let facts get in the way of symbolism!!!
think its environmentally freindly. Other studies have compared it's carbon footprint from production to end of life to a Ford F250.
MrTall the car industry is subsidized little compared to other industries in Australia and has no tarrifs to protect it. Far from being inefficient the automotive industry is the most innovative in the world and invented and is perfecting the production line.Sure, let's continue to prop up inefficient industries for the sake overpaid union jobs. What a crock. If the ALP-supporting dimwits want their aussie made hybrid then they can pay the full production price of $100,000 or whatever it will be. I'll have mine imported from Japan for $40,000, thanks.
Besides, I though we had a skills shortage. We obviously suck at building cars so ditch the workers and get them apprenticeships in plumbing. Oh, but we can't do that because that's another union closed-shop. What a screwed-up mentality.
Also Both the Commodore and Falcon, price comparable are superior to anything in the world.
Pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels in a motor vehicle is only a small portion of the environmental damage that said vehicle causes to a city. Hence why Mr Tall said that the benefits are overrated.
I think Ford will get the message now that Hybrids are the future of cars in this country and the world for that matter. The next Falcon must be a hybrid if Ford want to stay in business. Their export program for this Falcon should keep them up but will not help them for the next one.
The Australian car industry is protected by a tariff at the moment. If it was so world competitive it wouldn't need that protection.MrTall the car industry is subsidized little compared to other industries in Australia and has no tarrifs to protect it. Far from being inefficient the automotive industry is the most innovative in the world and invented and is perfecting the production line.
Also Both the Commodore and Falcon, price comparable are superior to anything in the world.
I say remove the barriers and the subsidies and let the market do what it will. Chances are the local industry will survive and as a bonus we will all have cheaper cars!
what happened to the original electric car set up? i heard that was very successful?
Hybrid cars are the way forward for the foreseeable future, they are much cheaper to run and with the price of fuel going higher and higher their popularity will rise too.
Congrats on current government Fed and State for sponsoring the production of these hybrid cars in Australia. I believe we have to have a car industry in Oz no matter what and if we can make money doing it then great. The cars we make here have to be more fuel efficient otherwise people will buy them from o/seas. The current crop of models guzzle too much and sales are falling. Its a no brainer.
It was the Hawke government that started lowering car tariffs 20 years ago and should be completed by 2015.
Congrats on current government Fed and State for sponsoring the production of these hybrid cars in Australia. I believe we have to have a car industry in Oz no matter what and if we can make money doing it then great. The cars we make here have to be more fuel efficient otherwise people will buy them from o/seas. The current crop of models guzzle too much and sales are falling. Its a no brainer.
It was the Hawke government that started lowering car tariffs 20 years ago and should be completed by 2015.
I don't care if VIC has no more manufacturing as long as we will always have the Ford, Toyota, Holden engine and Boeing factories.
Hybrids are a rip-off and have little benefit to the environment, if any.
I'll tell you where to begin. By taking your head out of your arse and taking a look at the world around you.^^^
I dont even know where to begin?
Ummm, that WAS my point, Einstein.The Prius uses the most polluting batteries in the world and people still
think its environmentally freindly. Other studies have compared it's carbon footprint from production to end of life to a Ford F250.
Wrong. As someone has already posted, we do have tarifs on imported cars. Do some research before posting bullshit.MrTall the car industry is subsidized little compared to other industries in Australia and has no tarrifs to protect it.
Wow, your patriotism seems to have severely affected your judgement. Your last comment takes the cake. A Mercedes C280 costs US$32,000 in the US, similar to what you can buy a base model Commodore for. Let me guess, you'd take the Commodore, right? Oh, but you want me to compre the tariff/tax-distorted prices, don't you, just to make you feel like you're getting value with our home-made product? Unfortunately, many in government think the same way, that's why our Merc C280's cost $90,000. Go educate yourself (travelling outside of Melbourne helps) and stop the chest beating (those new Holden's 60th Anniversary ads seem to have worked well on you).Far from being inefficient the automotive industry is the most innovative in the world and invented and is perfecting the production line.
Also Both the Commodore and Falcon, price comparable are superior to anything in the world.
Do you know something that I don't? Please enlighten me?I'll tell you where to begin. By taking your head out of your arse and taking a look at the world around you.
But it would be correct to say the Australian car industry is "protected" by the lowest tariff of any car-producing nation.The Australian car industry is protected by a tariff at the moment. If it was so world competitive it wouldn't need that protection.
Tariffs are not a competition.
We would still all benefit if we dropped our tariff, even if nobody else in the world did. Anyway, most of our export markets for cars (US, the middle east) don't have tariffs on imported cars so its not a big issue for us.
We would still all benefit if we dropped our tariff, even if nobody else in the world did. Anyway, most of our export markets for cars (US, the middle east) don't have tariffs on imported cars so its not a big issue for us.
1 - 20 of 46 Posts
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