Interesting comments are coming in on the U.S. stimulus package going to a foreign car maker. It actually makes sense.
The gist is that we need to set aside any over-inflated pride and push away bruised egos in times of financial meltdown as these. The stimulus package went to three car makers that deeply represent the U.S. in terms of cars on the road and the country’s role with innovations.
Why Tesla? If Tesla Motors received $465 million for the upcoming Model S, it is also a way to reward American entrepreneurship and innovations. Entrepreneurs are the most likely to have breakthrough and have great track records for innovations. If small to mid-size businesses are the back bone of the economy, in many ways, this rewards is for entrepreneurship. We are sure the Daimler investment in Tesla Motors probably help sway the government.
Why Ford? Ford has not taken the original bail-out loans the government was giving to car makers but was awarded $5.9 billion until 2011. Ultimately, these loans did little but to push back the inevitable. In many ways, Ford shows another aspect of America, that once it wakes up, it can actually steer away from incoming crisis. Ford could be the precursor of a more nimbler corporation. If the old adage that it is too big to fail is not true anymore, is big even a good thing anymore? Has it ever been?
Lastly, Why Nissan? This is apparently the shocker for many people but upon closer look, it makes a lot of sense. Anyone driving on U.S. highways, as well as those of the rest of the world cannot help but notice the high percentage of Japanese cars on the road. Nissan receiving $1.6 billion will actually stay in the country, mostly Tennessee which is an interesting turn of event. If all the news around the automobile is on Detroit who has survived because of the automobile, the fact that a Japanese car maker receives over a billion dollar to be spent on another state then Michigan might be an eye raiser but also shifts away the over-dependence of cars on one state alone. With that said, Nissan said it will go into producing their much anticipated EV-02.
All in all, there are many ways to deal with situations and this is the way chosen with this administration. Now, it is up to car makers and consumers to do the rest. Our only thought here is that Tesla Motors and Nissan seem to want to use this for electric vehicles, EV. While Ford might spend some it this money on their electric drive, most of it will go into higher fuel efficiency.