NBC News covers the Smart car....

[NCC1701]

Originally Posted by Bum-bling-B

NCC1701 - Did you add the "NOTE - Mercedes Emblem" qoute in the video?

Uh, yeah, but I called it a badge. You don't like it?

[Bum-bling-B]

Originally Posted by NCC1701

Uh, yeah, but I called it a badge. You don't like it?

Sorry, BADGE. Yes, there is one on Kermit now, also my dad picked one for his Smart too. First time I've EVER let anyone touch my car. I went ahead and let Gonzo put it on as my dad insisted on buying one to put on my car. Sure i like it. You might see it at the next get together IF I drive Kermit.

It was a great new article EXCEPT for the Consumer Report guy.

[yuckmoon]

Originally Posted by Suze

I guess I'm still waiting for someone to say plainly that the smart is a real car.

I love it when I get the "can it go on the highway?" question. My answer is always it's a real car just like yours. And if the person is rude about it I add but my car saves me money.

(my baby doesn't like to be insulted)

[gstreetcomic]

The news clip was great, except for the guy who said "people are still going to want bigger cars" and then saying "people still drive long distannces to get somewhere". So what rock must this guy be under i wonder? Ever see a used car lot? Yeah full of those "bigger cars" that people still want. Ok so the Smart is not for all, but to those who own one, it is for the ones who have one. BTW the car having a "cult" following, definately agree with that one. Remember the original Volkswagen Beetle? That car was ridculed when it first came out, and look at how it is yet still popular amongst the enthusisasts whom have one. BTW i drive mine as far as Manassas, VA which is 20 miles away and even further than that. Yes this little car is very nice on the roads. That is more than my two cents worth.

[Smartdavis]

$23 for an american worker and $15 an hour for the French auto worker......hmmmm

[Suze]

I don't think building a smart in 3-1/2 hours is quite correct.


From wiki:

Work is done in two shifts in which one vehicle has a throughput time of 8 ½ hours. the final assembly takes 4 ½ hours.



And the $15/hr vs $23/hr - you can't really compare. This factory is in an economically depressed area of Europe ~ who can say whats the cost of living?

Smartville, Hambach, France - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I think if I lived in the French countryside and made enough money to live on, had a month off each summer to "holiday" in the Mediterranean, I might feel fine.

[BigWarpGuy]

Here is the site where one can view the video of the 'Smart car driving auto industry foward'.

[vwW12]

Originally Posted by Smartdavis

$23 for an american worker and $15 an hour for the French auto worker......hmmmm

The poor United Auto Worker union person actually makes $27/hr, but after taxes apparently gets $23. The video explicitly said that $23 is the after tax amount. She then must pay union dues and fees, so Lord knows what her actual take-home pay is.

Now let's talk about the frenchie. She makes an annual salary of about $35,000 (roughly equivalent to £24,000 or €28,000). Her hourly rate is as follows:

$35,000 divided by 52 weeks divided by 35 hours per week maximum allowed by law = $19.50/hr. Using this table, we see that the French government then pockets 23.5% taxes on the poor guy, who then gets the $15 after tax mentioned by NBC on the video. Of course, in France you have no freedom to opt out of a union if you want a job at an auto plant, so she can never dream of taking home the $15... union dues and fees are still due, therefore reducing take-home pay.

- * -

Compare, of course, to Toyota US autoworkers, who on average actually make $30/hour in out-of-the-way places such as Georgetown, Kentucky.

[pdboilermaker]

vww12 - Union dues are equal to 1 hour wages per week and do you think your heros Toblowta pay such good wages out of the kindness of their heart or their deep commitment to doing what is right?

I bet they do it to keep the UAW out, if the UAW out of the picture, Toyblowta wouold reduce the pay and benifits as well. They simply enjoy the benifits of someone elses labor.

[jefferios]

It was cool, today I was approached by someone saying. "Hey I saw that car on NBC last night".

Well at least there is a new approach to asking what MPG do we get.