Get the Facts
Employment
The U.S.-based auto industry remains a vital part of the economy. It generates more employment, annual economic output, exports, and retail business than any other industry. It directly employs a quarter of a million Americans, and supports another 5 million at dealerships, suppliers and service providers.
U.S.-based carmakers spend more on R&D than any industry – more than $12 billion annually. We also provide healthcare benefits to 2 million Americans, and support nearly 800,000 retirees and spouses with pension benefits.
A liquidation of the auto companies would result in the loss of 3 million U.S. jobs
(according to a study by the Center for Automotive Research).
The auto industry works with thousands of suppliers in all 50 states and has 13,600
dealers (which employ 720,000 workers with a total annual payroll of $36 billion).
Level Field found that every 1,000 vehicles sold by Detroit's Big Three in the U.S. support more than twice as many jobs as 1,000 vehicles sold by foreign nameplates. Source CNN.com
Benefits
Ford, GM and Chrysler spend $22.2 billion in payroll and $102 billion on health care
annually.
Last year, the companies provided health care to almost two million Americans and paid pension benefits to 775,000 retirees or their survivors.
Support for U.S. Government
The industry is responsible for $1.2 billion in annual state taxes and spends $12 billion annually in research and development.
The automotive industry is the largest U.S. export sector.
It represents almost 4 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product and 10 percent of U.S. industrial production by value.
The government stands to lose over $156 billion in federal taxes (over three years), if the U.S. auto industry were to collapse (according to a study by the Center for
Automotive Research).
According to an October 28 Wall Street Journal article, “The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. ended 2007 with an $11.2 billion deficit. Were GM to place its pension burden on
PBGC, it would more than double the agency's current shortfall, a burden that could fall
on taxpayers.” Note: The worldwide market declines mean that 366 companies among
the S&P 500 have underfunded pensions, according to a Credit Suisse study.
Support for Other Industries
Ford, GM and Chrysler are among the nation’s largest purchasers of U.S.-manufactured steel, aluminum, iron, copper, plastics, rubber, electronic, and computer chips.
GENERAL MOTORS
GM Facts and Fiction
Did you know...
General Motors is the best-selling automaker in the U.S. (2.8 million vehicles v. 2.1 million Toyota vehicles) and leads Toyota in 20 of the top 22 global markets (Toyota leads in Japan and Australia markets).
Early this decade, GM put a major focus on improving its cars and expanding the number of crossover vehicles that it offers. As a result, of the last 13 new GM products introduced in the U.S. 11 have been cars or crossovers. Of the next 19 launches, 18 will be cars or crossovers.
Cars like the Saturn Aura, Chevy Malibu and Cadillac CTS have won major awards and are selling well in a very tough market. GM is also the only U.S.-based company to offer a subcompact car, the Chevy Aveo, which we introduced back in 2003. A second subcompact, the Pontiac G3, joins the lineup early next year.
GM’s brands (Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac), representing 80 percent of our total volume, are ranked above industry average as measured by 2008 J.D. Power Initial Quality.
Chevrolet is one of the fastest growing brands around the world, with sales in 130 countries
Chrevrolet Has the "Best in Class" highway fuel economy in five signifigant market segments
Chevrolet Has over 2 million bio-fuel cabaple (e85) vehicles on the road today
Every Chevy SUV and pick up is available with an EPA estimated 20 MPG hwy or better ( Ford and Toyota can't say that)
FORD:
The Ford Story
Did you know...
The Ford F-Series and Ford Flex are rated as two of the 10 Best New Cars of 2009 by BusinessWeek.
Fifteen 2009 Ford Motor Company vehicles are rated Top Safety Picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), more than those of any other automaker.
Ford Division has 15 car, truck and SUV choices that get 25 mpg or better.1
Ford Motor Company is a 2008 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence winner.
Escape Hybrid is one of the most fuel-efficient SUVs on the planet.2
