Welcome to Must Read, where we single out the best stories from around the automotive universe and beyond. Today we have reports from Green Car Reports, University Herald, and the Hemmings.
Great little explanation from our friend John Voelcker over at Green Car Reports.
The 2013 Nissan Leaf electric car is assembled in Smyrna, Tennessee, for North American sales.
In fact, Nissan got a low-interest loan for $1.6 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy to make that possible.
So why does every 2013 Leaf carry a window sticker saying that its U.S. and Canadian content is just 15 percent—while 80 percent of its parts content comes from Japan?
It might be lost, but the Allante is far from forgotten. It's always at the front of my mind.
In the early 1980s, General Motors came to the conclusion that it needed a halo car for its Cadillac brand, something that could stand toe to toe with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz SL. Such a luxury convertible would feature comfort without sacrificing handling, would wear a European-styled skin and, perhaps most significant of all, would attract younger buyers into Cadillac showrooms. Initial dialogue with design firm Pininfarina took place in 1982, and General Motors soon gave approval to a project code-named “Callisto.” In 1987, the car jointly developed between Cadillac and Pininfarina would debut as the Cadillac Allante, and it would go on to have a profound effect on both Cadillac and General Motors.
Now this is interesting stuff.
For many decades, we have been relying on fossil resources to produce liquid fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and many industrial and consumer chemicals for daily use. However, increasing strains on natural resources as well as environmental issues including global warming have triggered a strong interest in developing sustainable ways to obtain fuels and chemicals.
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Why The Made In America Nissan Leaf Isn't All American