CAFE - Automaker's best interests

ArlingtonBlue left a comment on my post about CAFE (not CAFÉ) the other day - thank you Arlington, I look at the stats and see I have many readers, but few posters; it's nice to have some dialog.

What was interesting about the comment was the suggestion that CAFE was not in the automaker's best interests. This is something I better need to understand. The typical line of reasoning over any regulation is that the regulation is bad for the auto companies. Catalytic converters, low emission vehicles, seatbelts/airbags, what have you - if it's regulated, it's bad news. However, I look at things differently, so would love to know where I'm wrong. Right now the car companies are in a very competitive industry, which little to differentiate vehicles, other than price (at least Ford, GM, and other such companies are often flogging "FACTORY INCENTIVES", whereas Honda, less so). Surely when a new regulation comes onboard that affects all car companies equally, this provides a new potential source of competitive advantage? If a new regulation came in that all cars had to have huge chrome fins, and Cadillac was the best car maker in the world at chrome fins, wouldn't they have a huge advantage over Hyundai?

So, for an automaker to argue against a regulation means that a) they don't think it is being applied uniformly, or b) they basically are admitting that they suck and don't have a chance in hell of competing under the new regulatory scheme. Regarding a), sometimes regulations only affect car makers who produce above a certain volume. So, GM would be unfairly biased a kit car manufacturer in keeping emissions down. Usually, this isn't any issue by the very nature of the fact that the kit car manufacturer isn't truly competing with GM. Regarding b) if a car maker is saying that they have no chance in competing under a new regulatory environment because they are not as innovative and skilled as their competitors, then I think Adam Smith (and myself) have opinions over what should be the long-term viability of that car company.

Anyone have theories over why economically rational automakers should oppose any regulations, and not see them as opportunities?

Turning Green into Gold

I write about cleantech deals a lot because that is the primary investment focus for me (I say primary because I get involved in IT, manufacturing, and other engineering deals that fit my expertise as well). However, our friends over at Cleantech Ventures, who exclusively look at cleantech deals have co-authored a white paper examining the cleantech venture industry in Australia. It was written by Anastasia O'Rourke (currently finishing a PhD at Yale) and co-authored by Hans de Zwart of Cleantech Ventures.

Given that it is talking about Australian Cleantech Venture, the title Turning Green to Gold could not have been more fitting, and was even obvious to me, a non-Australian (for those who don't know, Green and Gold are Australia's colours, so to speak).

From the blurb:

Cleantech Ventures and Cleantech Network LLC (USA) have co-authored a benchmark report representing the first-ever comprehensive analysis of cleantech venture capital, buyouts, merger and acquisition and IPO activity in Australia.

It's a pretty good review of the Australian context of this industry and the link for the report is here.