Summary of The Great Race

The Race Is On

American auto manufacturers dominated the world market in the first half of the 20th century. By the 1980s, however, consumers turned to Japanese companies such as Honda and Toyota because of their cars’ quality, fuel efficiency and emission controls. With electric-based vehicles set to gain market share in the future, many factors – technology, politics, the economy, industrial policies, the public and private sectors’ dynamics, and international environmental policies – will determine which countries succeed in the “Great Race” to mass-market a desirable electric car.

Ford Motor Company’s introduction of the assembly line in early 1913 made America the undisputed leader of the automotive industry. An earthquake that struck Tokyo in 1923 forced Japan to import a large number of Ford Model T cars, which maneuvered through the city’s rubble more efficiently than horses or Japanese vehicles. The Japanese converted Model T vehicles into buses for public transportation. Capitalizing on the Model T’s popularity, Ford and General Motors (GM) built plants in Japan. In 1934, they sold some 35,000 vehicles; the Japanese sold barely 1,000 domestic cars.

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