It seems like the prospect of electric cars that are widely available to the average consumer has been, and forever will be, just a technological fantasy. However, many automakers are starting to believe that electric cars will soon get into the hands of auto dealers, a move that would give birth to an auto fleet running on a much cleaner source of energy.
 
The upcoming Frankfurt Auto Show has drawn plenty of attention for promising an impressive lineup of electric vehicles from a variety of automakers. French automaker Renault plans to unveil an array of electric vehicles, including a fully electric …read more

Wages have been increasing in a number of traditional Low Cost Country (LCC) locations.
Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics office, reports the following increases in industrial wages:

Czech Republic: 6.7%
Slovakia: 8.1%
Poland: 11.1%
Romania: 21.6%
Germany: 1.5%
France: 3%

Around Shanghai, China, wages in some industries are approaching European levels.  (Source: Automotive News Europe). My post yesterday discussed reasons for setting up global R&D operations; cost savings is no longer one of them.
So will the next Low Cost Country please step forward?
Some companies, like Renault, have plans to build manufacturing plants in Morocco and other Northern Africa countries. This could be the start of a good thing …read more