❗Help close the gap: We still need to raise $40,000 by the end of March. Donate now

U.S. auto makers optimistic about European sales

Mark Garrison Sep 15, 2015
HTML EMBED:
COPY

U.S. auto makers optimistic about European sales

Mark Garrison Sep 15, 2015
HTML EMBED:
COPY

All eyes in the car world are on Frankfurt, Germany, this week as the much-anticipated auto show opens to the media Tuesday. Car sales are strong in Europe again, and American automakers are optimistic about squeezing more money out of that market.

“We are on a growth path right now,” says Frank Biller, auto analyst for the German bank LBBW.

Europe’s tricky, though. The dollar’s strength versus the euro is great for American tourists, but rough for American exporters. Also, high fuel taxes mean European drivers pay way more at the pump.

That means Detroit’s profitable SUVs do much better in Paris, Texas, than Paris, France. That’s why American automakers are pushing crossovers, which combine SUV and car features, offering better fuel economy.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.