Obama s labour boss buys Ontario built car calls it American made
Post on: 2011-09-05 By: admin
U.S. President Barack Obama’s labour secretary, Hilda Solis, wanted to show her support for American autoworkers with an American-made car. But there's just one problem: The Chevrolet Equinox is made in Ontario.
Justin Sullivan/GETTY IMAGES
U.S. President Barack Obama’s labour secretary, Hilda Solis, wanted to show her support for American autoworkers by swapping her standard government-issued limo for a crossover Chevrolet Equinox.
There’s just one problem: The Equinox is built in Ontario.
The cabinet member proudly touted her new silver-coloured ride, dubbed by her as “The Bullet”, during a breakfast on Wednesday hosted by the Christian Science Monitor in Washington. By opting for the silver Equinox, Solis said she was supporting American autoworkers, noting the “pride that they take making our automobiles here in America.”
The purchase sends “a signal that we are for supporting our American workers, American-made products,” Solis said.
But the lightweight crossover is actually built at General Motors’ plants in Oshawa and Ingersoll, using a mix of components made in Canada and the U.S.
Second-hand: Chevrolet Equinox appealing but flawed
The Oshawa Assembly Plant started regular production of the Equinox in September of last year to meet increasing demand for the mid-size car. In 2004, the first Equinox rolled off the production line at the CAMI plant in Ingersoll.
Solis’s gaffe comes after Obama caught flak over his own set of wheels last month.
In mid-August, Obama’s luxury bus made headlines after it was revealed the vehicle was built in part by a Quebec-based firm. The President was heavily criticized for using the bus on his economic-recovery tour.
A labour department spokesman responded by saying modern automobile manufacturing is a global industry.
“General Motors is a company whose reach extends far beyond the boundaries of the United States,” Carl Fillichio told U.S. News and World Report. “Cars assembled here in the U.S. are made from globally sourced parts, just as cars assembled in other countries utilize parts made in America.”
He noted that the Equinox has 66 per cent of its parts made in the U.S., a step up from 50 per cent a few years ago.
For her part, Solis says she’s happy with her Equinox, calling it a “good product” that “rides well,” and touting its fuel efficiency. The 4-cylinder, 2.4-litre version gets 10.7 L/100 km in city driving and 7.4 L/100 km on the highway.
Hilda Solis on ‘American’ Chevy Equinox:
With files from the Toronto Star’s wire services
U.S. President Barack Obama’s labour secretary, Hilda Solis, wanted to show her support for American autoworkers with an American-made car. But there's just one problem: The Chevrolet Equinox is made in Ontario.
Justin Sullivan/GETTY IMAGES
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Article original from: http://www.thestar.com/wheels/article/1047888--obama-s-labour-boss-buys-ontario-built-car-calls-it-american-made
