It appears huge tax savings may be available for people who trade in an old clunker for a fuel efficient car made in North America. What about the 2010 Prius?
Sounds like a nice plan - too bad the most fuel efficienct cars aren't made in Detroit - otherwise GM would be able to sell lots of cars. Idiots.
On the subject of government handouts for owners of gas guzzlers, what about the owners who were sensible enough to buy fuel efficient cars in the first place? The Feds never gave me a dime for buying my Prius. I can see rebates for fuel efficient American cars, expecially hybrids, but not for those Sherman tanks a lot of people have in their driveways. Why reward stupidity and gluttony? I understand this type of approach is working in Europe, but there are no real gas guzzlers in Europe like here. Gas is too expensive there, and the roads are too narrow to accommodate tanks. The incentives there are more for increasing new car sales. Why doesn't Obama/Congress offer rebate incentives for fuel efficent American cars? That's more sensible than mass handouts to the car companies. Target incentives to increase their car sales--of their fuel efficient cars, that is.
To be specific, the the 2010 will be assembled in the same plant @ Tsutsumi, in Toyota City. It was reported Toyota planned to move out some of the models to make way for the plan to increase new Prius production rate (by 70%!?). I am not sure if this plan had been shelved since the economy tanked. Toyota Motor Corporation, Tsutsumi Plant Toyota City
Oh trust me, there are. Go to VCAcarfueldata.org.uk - Database Search and select 11-20 under Imperial (mpg). Select (all) from the drop-down list on the next page. Admittedly the second-guiltiest car on the list (after the Lamborghini Murcielago 147) is American: Dodge SRT10 Cabriolet [*]. It's mostly sports cars until you get to page 4, where you see a Range Rover 4.2L supercharged V8 with 17.7mpg. One of my neighbours has a 5.7L Jeep Commander (I think) which achieves a staggering 18.1mpg, emitting 377g/km CO2. The comparable numbers for the 2G Prius are 65.7mpg, 104g/km CO2. [*] Actually, I think it's been withdrawn: no longer on Dodge's website. They don't seem to have informed the authorities, though. :focus: I'd like to see Toyota consider assembling Prius at Burnaston, Derbyshire, UK, which is one of their main European plants. They already build 2ZR-FAE engines for the Avensis, which has the same wheelbase as Prius (although more advanced double-wishbone rear suspension compared to the Prius' torsion beam system).
Mexico. All Ford Fusions are built there. (Well, except the Fiesta-derivative that goes by that name in Europe.)
Following Japanese news article says... one line for 2010 Prius at Toyota Tsutsumi plant one line for Prius EX, the remodeling 2G Prius, at Toyota Tsutsumi plant one line for 2010 Prius at Toyota Auto Body Fujumatsu plant 2010 Prius production strategy Ken@Japan
