Canadian Government Gives $10K Chevy Volt Subsidy, Angers Toyota

it's basically a sale on a product they co-own. wake up toyota.

Don't know what toyota is whining about they get subsidies from the Japanese government all the time. Subsidies from the Japanese government helped design and engineer the prius!

This is quoting from someone else's point of view, but I think it's a relevent point:

"I don’t see the controversy. The US government invested $10+ billion in “Partnership for a Next Generation Vehicle”, an R&D cash machine exclusive to American companies. What did we get for our investment? See it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PNGV
That’s right, we got a cool web page with some prototype photos and ZERO technology delivered over the decade the partnership operated.
What did the Japan get for their investment? Well, Toyota designed the ENTIRE Prius from the ground up in 24 months from 95 to 97, and started selling it immediately. Honda built and began selling the Insight in the same time frame. It only took two years, and the technology in these two vehicles didn’t change fundamentally over the next four. How much could they have spent??"

Toyota has lots of subsidy from the Japanese government. They are worried because they will lose their top spot. Let's not forget GM has the most hybrids in its fleets. Granted many are rebadges, but they still count. Stop whining Toyota. Instead of making these oddly shaped San Fran mobiles, why not make some performance cars with your TRD division.

GM has many models of hybrids but they sell very few. About a thousand a month. Toyota sells way more hybrids.

Not sure why Toyota is complaining (aside from not having a Volt competitor), the Prius benefited from a 3,000+ tax credit.

Before he was sent to the woodshed, the Prius' developer leaked that the car was funded by the Japanese government, a statement that Toyota later denied.

Japan's auto industry was built on closed markets, not tariff trade barriers, and currency manipulation. If Canada wants to stimulate demand for a closer to home product, it's within their rights.

+1 I have to agree with Invisible.

In the form af tax incentives and deferments the south has been using (your) tax money to lure foreign auto makers to the south.

There is nothing "free market" about how the South got car plants. The subsidies given to Mercedes were in the billions, estimated at about $235,000 per job. Gifts included land for the factory, preparation of the site, training of workers, tax exemptions, and guaranteed purchases of thousands of vehicles.
Nissan was given family farms by eminent domain. VW is getting half a billion from Tennessee.
Not exactly "free market capitalism."

Invisible, Japan don't need to give billions directly like we have seen of late with our government. Japan has consistently done so in other ways over decades.

Japan has demonstrated that elimination of tariffs and the removal of non-tariff barriers are meaningless if a country is allowed to offset these actions by artificially depreciating its currency. Thus, for example, the artificially weak yen has provided Japanese auto companies a cost advantage ranging from $3,000 on a small car to $12,000 on a luxury sport utility. This subsidy has both facilitated the expansion of Japanese companies in the U.S. and succeeded in keeping American-built automobiles out of Japan.

The world’s acceptance of Japan’s postwar export-based economic growth model has long been debated here in Congress and elsewhere. However, it is frustrating, really unbelievable, to many of us in this business and the American manufacturing sector that the Japanese government’s extraordinary $420 billion currency manipulation program has gone unquestioned and unchallenged, while China has become the sole focus of attention as the threat to American competitiveness.

Additionally, Japan’s regulatory system that governs certification to safety and emission standards was, by any objective standard, clearly designed for the convenience of Japanese automakers and to make it expensive, difficult, and very time consuming to sell imported cars in Japan.

Japan’s weak yen policy has given its exporters a huge subsidy and competitive advantage in the U.S. market, causing significant harm to U.S. manufacturers. One clear sign that a country is manipulating its currency is a substantial increase in its foreign currency reserves, which occurs as it buys and holds dollars. Japan has seen a massive increase in its foreign currency reserves since 2001, growing from $344.8 billion in July 2000 to $840 billion in July 2005.

Buyers are going to need it after paying $40K+ for the Volt in the first place.

Inspirion7, sounds to me you copied that article from somewhere. Nonetheless you are a known Toyota hater and you'll be that way until your conversion...better known as a defector. If you are not then, prove it!

The article came from the Committee on Way And Means under "Hear Archives" Statement of Mustafa Mohatarem, Ph.D., Chief Economist

Testimony Before the Full Committee
of the House Committee on Ways and Means

September 28, 2005

Doesn't matter what I think about Toyota, GM BMW etc, the fact is, Invisible made statement and if you compare the money Japan has profit from for over 20 plus years, it dwarfs the billions we gave just a few months ago.

Honda "assembles" cars here and ships them back to Japan. The profit goes to the place of origin. Honda place of origin is Japan. Is Honda an American company? Is BMW American based even though they have a plant in Tennessee? Get real.

lexsworld, I would never, ever, purchase a Toyota. Let me make this very clear to you, NEVER purchase a Toyota again. Now that is clear,
Toyota makes great vehicles for the masses. Bullet proof and extremely dependable but first, I would purchase a KIA or Hyundai before I by a bland, Melba Toast Toyota. I've owned two but I've had enough of them. Time to purchase something with style, substance and personality. It is possible in a few years the new head of Toyota will change the direction of the company, but until then, I'll live without them and Toyota will get by just fine without me.


Are you clear on were I stand lexsworld?

So inspiron I'm not clear....you will never, ever buy a Toyota, or you will never, ever buy a Toyota unless the head of the company changes things? Which is it? Sounds kinda like you'll never suck a dick....but you might if the right one comes along.

Toyota would hunch it's shoulders before it becomes angry over matters of such small concerns.

The playing field is fair. Toyota could offer a plug-in Prius in 2010 if they wanted but they keep dragging their feet.

Right to work is a bad practice and keeps the economy unstable here in the south this coupled with the southern auto makers habit of hiring temp workers keeps the common worker locked into poverty. Workers that can loose their lively hood at a days notice don't buy new cars or homes.

Favoritism,lol If Japan wants fair they should let American vehicles flood there market, presently only a handful are allowed to be bought, and obviously Canada wants this car because it doesn't save that much gas, can you imagine if we were all in ultra efficient cars, we wouldn't be burning as much gas and that means our oil fields would be slowing production and our economy would be lower than ever before.

hahaha, you mean Alberta's economy would be lower than ever before ;)