After months of rumors and tantalizing leaks, Indian automaker Tata Motors has finally unveiled the Tata Nano — its already legendary $2,500 (1-lakh) car.
The words “Tata Nano” have nothing to do with tiny music players, but the car going by that name’s price and size are still nearly small enough to dance on the head of a pin.
As expected, the car that Tata claims will change the face of not only the Indian car market, but the global auto industry will be a four door, five seat hatch, powered by a 30 HP Bosch 624 cc four stroke engine mounted out back and mated to a CVT. That makes the Nano the first time a 2-cylinder gasoline engine will be used in a car with a single balancer shaft. The Nano’s also expected to get 54 US miles per gallon.
Background
Petrol price have successfully hit record levels after oil reached the $100 a barrel mark, sending financial shockwaves through world markets. Fuel economy is at the top of the list of factors shoppers consider when looking at a new vehicle. In face of this situation, more and more manufacturers began to focus on the fuel economy vehicle.
China’s Car Manufacturers
Actually, China’s car manufacturers are paying gigantic effort on the fuel economy vehicle and have got very big accomplishment.
China’s auto giant FAW has become involved in economy car production once it has controlling shares in Tianjin Automotive Xiali Co. (TAIC), the country’s major economy car producer. TAIC, which is based in the port city of Tianjin, north China, is capable of producing 230,000 cars, 270,000 engines and 10,000 large tractors annually, while FAW manufactured and sold about 1430,000 cars last year.
In 2007, China FAW Group Corp became the country’s first automaker to operate a plant in Mexico, as increasing domestic competition causes Chinese carmakers to seek sales in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia. FAW’s Mexican plant is set to open in 2010 with a capacity of 100,000 fuel economy cars a year, according to the statement. Sales of imported cars had begun last year.
Chery, China’s largest independent carmaker and is specialized in fuel economy vehicle, expects to export 110,000 vehicles this year, predominately to the Middle East and Russia, Zhang Lin, general manager of Chery International, a division of the Wuhu-based automaker, said on November 15. The company will also build cars for Chrysler LLC.
Geely, the largest private car manufacturer in China, enter into South Africa is another milestone in her history. As the first overseas joint venture South Africa of Geely International, Geely SA will import and distribute Geely cars in South Africa. The first model will be introduced into SA is Geely CK, a kind of fuel economy cars.
Auto Car Trade Shows
Here are several famous Chinese auto car trade shows as follows:
China International Automobile Manufacturing Exposition
36,000 sqm of exhibition area will be available, and you will be exposed to:
- Over 800 exhibitors;
- Businesses from over 30 countries and regions;
- Over 8,000 business decision makers from 20 countries including the US, Asia and European participants;
- More than 20 high-level summits and procurement information release conferences will be held.
Auto Guangzhou, China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition
China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition started in 2003, which was positioned at “High Quality, Internationalization and Comprehensiveness”. On the basis of major support from Guangzhou Municipal Government, China’s 1/3 car consumer market, powerful car developing industry and the one of the best exhibition hall in Asia, it has become one of China’s famous automobile exhibitions after four years’ operation.
The 8th Dalian International Auto & Parts Exhibition
Dalian International Automotive Industry Exhibition is one of the exhibitions planned, initiated and fostered by Dalian People’s Government. Through this exhibition, Dalian People’s Government intends to build a free-trade, logistics and sales center of automobiles and to attract more auto projects and to provide an extensive market for the automotive and auto parts merchants from home and abroad.
China Leading B2B Marketplace
Made-in-China.com is a leading internet-based directory of China products & China Suppliers. Its rich resources have made it the best online platform for international trade between global buyers & China Suppliers.
Every day, Millions of global buyers find the most complete, high-quality, reliable and updated resources of China products and their suppliers through Made-in-China.com.
Fuel Economy Vehicle -Double-Edged Sword?
One aspect, the fuel economy car can cut down the fuel gas contamination and restrain oil price from going up. Besides, appearance of the fuel economy car makes the possession of a car become a reality for many families.
Another aspect, the trend would aggravate the urban traffic.
Exactly what numbers should an individual investor look at to determine what general area is the most attractive given the current state of the economy.
I know that it has been well documented that certain investment classes are better than others during different phases of the economic business cycle.
What specific numbers should an individual investor look at, and where would you find the numbers to help you make better investment decisions based on the state of the economy?
Keith
The country is in the dumper. Wages are down. People are worried about losing their jobs. Did I miss any of the big talking points? I know there are a lot more where those came from and I could fill the page with them. However, that would be a pointless exercise.
Think about those claims I mentioned above. We are inundated every day with these stories of doom and gloom and about how America is going to Hell in a hand basket. Now maybe, just maybe, if you only listened to the stories about how bad it is out there you might be determined to believe that a recession or even a depression is on the way even though we have not even met the standards of a recession yet. Or maybe you are one of those who have rewritten the truth to actually believe we are in one now?
Well ask yourself this, if everything sucks so bad, the economy is in shambles and we on the verge of (or even in) a recession then how is it that people are just blowing their cash on extremely frivolous things? Things like, oh I don’t know, going to Disney theme parks?
Yes, you heard right. In this time of such dire circumstances attendance at Disney’s parks in the United States is up 5% and revenues are up even higher - 11% give or take. In other words, not only are more people going to Disney’s parks, but they are spending more money there too.
Hmm. Interesting. Is spending lots of money on leisure something you often do as the first thing when you fear a potential economic problem? I know that there are people out there that spend money they don’t have (see the sub-prime housing fiasco for example) but I am talking to you, an intelligent human being and not some schlub who would not know how to save a dollar if their life depended on it.
As a country we are supposed to be suffering economically. We are supposed to be worried about losing our jobs and wondering if our paycheck will be handed to us twice a month on schedule and actively questioning where our next meal will be coming from. We are told that our neighbors are suffering and that they are not able to afford simple things like clothes for their children without tightening their belts beyond the last available notch. If they can even still afford a belt that is.
This is what we are told by certain people. But our eyes are drawn back to the news about Disney almost with eager interest to make these reports square with what we have been told. Maybe we are supposed to believe that people are just going out for one last fling before reality sets in, the bubble bursts and the soup lines that will stretch for blocks are formed. Maybe we are supposed to believe that these poor, deluded souls simply don’t see the impending disaster that they are told day after day is coming.
After all, things cannot be going that well. The reports and the pundits tell us otherwise. They say that it is all but over – pack up the bags and last one out please turn off the lights. We will all be panhandling for spare change before it is all said and done.
But yet we still have questions as to why Disney is doing so well and showing growth. It does not make much sense. And then it dawns on us. People can tell us anything. They can say anything they want. But just because the words are spoken doesn’t make them truthful.
I could tell you that there is an elephant under my hat or that the sky is really hot pink and not blue or that the grass is purple and not green. But you can simply look and see that such claims are not true.
The same thing is currently happening with the economy.
Now, that is not to deny that there are pockets of trouble, sectors that are struggling for various reason and that there won’t be recessions, depressions or just otherwise hard times to come. They happen. There are good times and there are bad times. And sometimes something so catastrophic happens (like say a government induced housing bubble bursting) that bad times, or at least troubled times, are unavoidable.
No one can stop them no matter how much they promise. Not even politicians promising hope and change or more government control of our lives and the economy.
But the next time someone tells you how bad it is in America and asks what you are going to do next, just smile. Then respond. “Why, I’m going to Disney World!” Just like the rest of America apparently.
Luis
Most of these tasks go unpaid, yet, they clearly perform a vital roles.
If those people performing unpaid labor of the types described were to simply stop doing it, how do you think it would affect the commercial economy?
Also do you believe that most unpaid labor of the types described is done by women?
Alvin
The second phase pertains to the years following the wars of independence against the Spanish and also the invasion of Cuba by the US. It is marked by the sweeping powers of intervention obtained by the US in 1902, with the Cuban economy being controlled by the growing investment of the US citizens in the sugar plantations of Cuba. Now, again, money and profits from the sugar plantation, sugar refineries and subsidiary sugar products such as rum went to the many American investors and a few Cuban elite. The other major industries also included tourism, tobacco, transportation, mining and the communication industry.
The third phase begins with the Cuban revolution and the beginning of Fidel Castro’s rule in the year 1959. All plantations that were more than 400 hectares became state owned and all industries including the petroleum and the telephones became nationalized. This lead to the US trade embargo towards Cuba. Cuba lost its traditional international market. However, Cuba found a trade and political ally in the USSR when the Cuban-sugar for Russian-oil package worked well. Cuba reoriented itself to the Russian and pro-Russian market and did over 80% of its international trade with them. The next 30 years saw tremendous improvement in health care, education and social welfare. Cuba boasts of a 97% literacy rate and the life expectancy increased to 76%. There was an egalitarian distribution of income and Cuba’s income inequality index became the lowest in the world.
All was well until 1989 when it became clear to Cuba that sooner or later Cuba would have to learn to do without any subsidies or trade relations with the USSR and the eastern European countries. The fourth phase begins here with the government dubbing it as the ‘Special Period in Peacetime’. The economic reforms include:
(i) the opening and gearing up of tourism as an industry
(ii) diversification of the agricultural sector by producing fruits and vegetables and rice along with live stock for local consumption that include the visiting tourists.
(iii) production of more of citrus food and less of sugar
(iv) focusing on that sector of fisheries which sent its fleets to nearby seas and exporting spiny lobsters to Japan
(v) State-owned lands have been converted to agricultural cooperatives that are managed to a certain degree by the workers. Retail outlets at a small scale have been allowed for the food market. In the field of food production, allowing the sale of excess production (which is above the state-fixed production quota) in the free market has brought down black markets, in addition to enhancing production
(vi) Foreign investments in various industries such as tourism, mining, telecommunication, construction and manufacturing sectors have been allowed
(vii) Self employment has been legalized for around 150 occupations.
Investment into biotechnology and pharmaceuticals during the third phase reaped returns when products of this industry were available for export now at the fourth phase.
The other Cuban industries include cement, steel, agricultural machinery and construction.
Fisheries, nickel and ore production, growing agricultural products such as fruits, tobacco are some areas that have shown growth in the export sector. Cuba now exports to European countries (50%), Canada and Latin America (20%), and Asia (20%).
Spain, France, and United Kingdom have invested in the tobacco and cigar production. Spain and Canada have invested in the exploration of oil off the shores of Cuba. Mexico, Canada, Australia, South-Africa, Netherlands, Brazil, and Chile are the other major countries that have invested in the various industries of Cuba.
Cuba has entered into an agreement with Venezuela whereby thousands of Cubans who are doctors, teachers and sports trainers, and engineers would move in to Venezuela to assist their development program in return for 53,000 barrels of oil per day being shipped to Cuba for the next five years.
“Energy revolution” where apart form changing the entire system of power generation and distribution, energy conservation is also aimed at, has been in vogue in Cuba for the last two years. The quality of life of the Cubans are improving with the volunteers of the government replacing on a door-to-door campaign, the existing electric stoves and lights with the ones that are more efficient and less energy consuming. Energy efficient refrigerators and television sets have been distributed and would be installed in all the thousands of housing units that the government is building. Energy efficient buses from China would soon be available for the Cuban public transport. It is just a matter of some time when power generation would take place at hundreds of units that are well synchronized, thus avoiding wastage of power while distributing it through very long distances. Generation of natural gas while exploring for oil at oil rigs is also considered.
Cuba has also legalized the US dollars. Further, the Venezuelan inputs for domestic oil production and upgradation of existing power stations have raised the level of optimism. Cuba is also hoping to find oil off its shores. Apart from the sugar industry and its related products, there are various industries such as tourism (also called the lung of the Cuban economy), fisheries, nickel and ore production, production of tobacco, Cuban cigar, citrus fruits, pharmaceuticals, coffee, besides basic manufacturing industries which have earned Cuba foreign exchange. Cuba has learned to manage its post-USSR economic condition and is steering towards a more prosperous economy.
Lauren
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