According to Truck Trend Sept/Oct 2011...

[rscurtis]

The Mahindra PU's aren't going to be assembled anywhere. You can also blame the Economic Punishment Agency for the exodus of jobs from the US.

 

[Barry]

Yes, they had a small part also... ... ... ... ... .....

 

[MChrist]

I recall reading that the small, diesel pickup (possibly Mahindra) really only got around 22-24 mpg. (Actually, upon edit, the EPA rated it at 19 city/21 hwy. )

 

[Barry]

A friend of mine here in Florida had the Mahindra dealership sewed up. He had no problem spending millions of dollars to plant the dealership until he asked them to provide him with production numbers. Mahindra could not supply enough units to even meet the overhead of the facility, much less make a profit.

And if memory serves me correctly, Mr. Christ is right on with regard to the mileage figures. There are fantastic little diesel engines operating all over the world but when you try to bring them to the US, and the Eco Persecution Agency attacks them with all their regulations... ... ... ..... they just kill them.

Vote the job killing rectal orifices OUT! November 6th, 2012 is eJection day!

 

[rscurtis]

The Mahindra PU's aren't going to be assembled anywhere. You can also blame the Economic Punishment Agency for the exodus of jobs from the US.

Looks like I might have to eat my words on this one. Mahindra Planet

 

[Cosmo]

Could it be, is it possible, have you ever considered that Labor may have played a small part in the Exodus?

Dude, you can't say that. Blaming the unions is like blasphemy. You might as well strap a turban on your head, a bomb around your chest, and walk into a daycare. Why do you hate socialist American labor unions???

A friend of mine here in Florida had the Mahindra dealership sewed up. He had no problem spending millions of dollars to plant the dealership until he asked them to provide him with production numbers. Mahindra could not supply enough units to even meet the overhead of the facility, much less make a profit.



And if memory serves me correctly, Mr. Christ is right on with regard to the mileage figures. There are fantastic little diesel engines operating all over the world but when you try to bring them to the US, and the Eco Persecution Agency attacks them with all their regulations... ... ... ..... they just kill them.



Vote the job killing rectal orifices OUT! November 6th, 2012 is eJection day!

I used to drive by the Mahindra dealership on Clark road here in Sarasota every day. Now it's a used car lot, Mahindra signs removed... You can't burn your distribution network for millions of dollars (each!) and hope to come back any time soon.



Even if they get to a place where manufacturing can create a profitable supply, and the price isn't out of this world, and the fuel economy is more in line with what a compact diesel pickup should be, you still have to contend with a large group of guys who would have sold your product had they not been taken for a ride.

 

[rscurtis]

I was last in Florida in November of '09 and recall that dealership. I was tempted to stop in but didn't have the time.

 

[Barry]

Dude, you can't say that. Blaming the unions is like blasphemy. You might as well strap a turban on your head, a bomb around your chest, and walk into a daycare. Why do you hate socialist American labor unions???



The Bible says to call sin by it's right name.

 

[dshatzer]

NOt that the EPA doesn't have its questionable attributes, but regarding vehicle emissions, European Regulaitons have required Selective Catalytic Reduction of diesel exhaust gases for many years. When I was last driving in Europe(2008), all the service stations had urea solution in 4 liter and one liter containers. The EU can be just as cruel. The difference is they measurement techniques for diesel emissions, as well as the fact that diesel is still less expensive than regular there. It is very hard to make an apples to apples comparison, when the rules are so different. So it goes.

 

[Yo Hoot]

Natural gas is the next big thing... .

“Natural gas has clearly emerged as the most realistic alternative fuel option for the trucking industry,” said Dan Ustian, Navistar chairman, president and CEO.

Teaming Up On Natural Gas | Diesel Progress Online | Industry News | Teaming Up On Natural Gas

And this is how effed up this country is... we don't even know how to manufacture anymore.
http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/16/smallbusiness/manufacturing_jobs/index.htm?iid=Lead&hpt=hp_c1

 

[rscurtis]

My high school in the 1960's had a full machine shop, auto shop, carpenter shop, and electrical shop. Those have long been removed from what we now call an educational process. This is the result- no one knows how to do anything anymore.



Natural gas is a good engine fuel for local use and has a lot of untapped potential for automotive use as soon as a manufacturer comes out with a dedicated NG engine. I don't see it as a long-distance fuel due to it's lack of density and the lack of a fueling infrastructure.

 

[ceastmen]

Machinists

Yo Hoot,



Good CNN article on the lack of skilled people our country needs.

I've been in the trade for 49 years now, and am a Master Machinist in a Proto type Flight machine shop for an Aerospace company. I'm at work on Sunday because we too can not find people who can come in and do this type of work,

it is highly specialized and it has taken me the last 23 years to get to this level. The people I work with are retiring, I will retire in May at age 65.

I'm having to train 50+ year old's to do this type of work, none of them are all around type people and they don't have the basic foundation it takes.

Sorry for the RANT, I woke up in 1989 and realized this was comming back then, todays youth aren't interested in this trade, you can make 100K a year as the article said.

 

[Yo Hoot]

Yo Hoot,



Good CNN article on the lack of skilled people our country needs.

I've been in the trade for 49 years now, and am a Master Machinist in a Proto type Flight machine shop for an Aerospace company. I'm at work on Sunday because we too can not find people who can come in and do this type of work,

it is highly specialized and it has taken me the last 23 years to get to this level. The people I work with are retiring, I will retire in May at age 65.

I'm having to train 50+ year old's to do this type of work, none of them are all around type people and they don't have the basic foundation it takes.

Sorry for the RANT, I woke up in 1989 and realized this was comming back then, todays youth aren't interested in this trade, you can make 100K a year as the article said.

I don't have a college education myself. I had three years of Vo-Tech... Machine Shop. It made my career and shot me up through small machine shops and then in the aerospace industry myself. My last consulting job had me designing support equipment for the V-22 Osprey. When you say all around... that job had me doing project planning, design, project management, customer interface including Preliminary and Critical design reviews with the AirForce.



I did manual machining, ran NC... and then CNC machines... started programming CNC. . got into CAD tool design... worked in tool and die... did mold work.



Right now I'm contemplating starting my own small business. I want to be my own boss. I did part time work servicing gas fireplaces. I had a blast doing it cause I'm a talker and going into peoples homes was fun for me.



But the point is... there are careers out there for the taking and no one interested. They pay good and have great working conditions.

 

[ceastmen]

AMEN to that!

 

[LWalsh]

Next game changer...

Navistar has signed up with EcoMotors to put the Opposed Piston Opposed Cylinder (OPOC) engine into production. Sounds like a great application for small diesel-powered trucks if they can bring reliable vehicles into production.



Ecomotors has past executives from Chrysler, Ford, and GM on their board of directors, so they don't lack for experience.



Click the "news" button on the EcoMotors.com website to see what they're up to.

 

[Yo Hoot]

That engine looks interesting. I like the way it uses dual pistons to reduce velocity.

 

[LWalsh]

Good point, Hoot. That will make for a good discussion with my physics-geek buddy to puzzle out how much the same mass moving at half velocity contributes to the overall efficiency of the engine.

I understand that Ecomotors plans to license the engine to production companies, rather than putting their vehicle on the street.

My wife will be in line to buy the next Dakota or Ranger with that engine !! She loves the comforts of our 3500 Laramie, but would rather navigate than pilot.

 

[rscurtis]

I hope your wife is young and has a lot of patience, she's going to be in that line for a long time.



The only time I would buy a "new" product from Navistar is if my other option was walking.

 

[NIsaacs]

Navistar makes good equipment.....



Nick

 

[rashwor]

Navistar makes good equipment.....



Nick

Correct... Ford just needed to not touch the Navistar engine other than stick it in the body... .