VH_Supra26
03-27-2008, 09:06 PM
http://www.motorauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/Chevrolet/Equinox/equinox_sport.jpg
The fledgling Chinese auto industry has been embroiled in scandals of stealing designs and producing poor quality cars but despite this one major carmaker has already been selling vehicles in the U.S. with engines sourced from China. The truth of the matter is Americans may already have a Chinese engine under the bonnet of their car because GM has been selling its Chevrolet Equinox with a powerplant sourced from across the Pacific.
This is the first instance of a Chinese engine in an American car, revealed CSM Worldwide analyst Eric A. Fedewa during a recent interview with The Detroit News. The move, according to Fedewa, was an exercise by GM to see how much money could be saved in the cost of production. In fact, only 55% of parts used in the Equinox are sourced locally, the rest coming mostly from Japan and China.
Is this really a problem though? In an increasingly globalized world, consumers are less concerned about the origin of their cars. Technological advancements in quality control and production have allowed major corporations to move operations overseas in order to make savings on labor, materials and other expenses while essentially maintaining quality and efficiency.
If you’re worried about driving a Chinese engine, there’s bad news for the future. China will not just be supplying engines for American cars, but whole vehicles as well. Chrysler, which has signed a deal with China’s Chery auto, is likely to become the first carmaker to sell a Chinese-built car in North America with a new Dodge compact car slated to arrive by the end of the decade.
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/industry/gm-powering-its-cars-with-chinese-engines/
The fledgling Chinese auto industry has been embroiled in scandals of stealing designs and producing poor quality cars but despite this one major carmaker has already been selling vehicles in the U.S. with engines sourced from China. The truth of the matter is Americans may already have a Chinese engine under the bonnet of their car because GM has been selling its Chevrolet Equinox with a powerplant sourced from across the Pacific.
This is the first instance of a Chinese engine in an American car, revealed CSM Worldwide analyst Eric A. Fedewa during a recent interview with The Detroit News. The move, according to Fedewa, was an exercise by GM to see how much money could be saved in the cost of production. In fact, only 55% of parts used in the Equinox are sourced locally, the rest coming mostly from Japan and China.
Is this really a problem though? In an increasingly globalized world, consumers are less concerned about the origin of their cars. Technological advancements in quality control and production have allowed major corporations to move operations overseas in order to make savings on labor, materials and other expenses while essentially maintaining quality and efficiency.
If you’re worried about driving a Chinese engine, there’s bad news for the future. China will not just be supplying engines for American cars, but whole vehicles as well. Chrysler, which has signed a deal with China’s Chery auto, is likely to become the first carmaker to sell a Chinese-built car in North America with a new Dodge compact car slated to arrive by the end of the decade.
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/industry/gm-powering-its-cars-with-chinese-engines/