The Chrysler Group chief executive also told the National Press Club audience that he expected fuel economy standards will be increased by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) following debate in the Senate this week. But he added that initial proposals to drastically increase corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards were "neither consistent with what consumers want, nor consistent with a healthy auto industry and its effects on the economy."
Remarks by Dieter Zetsche:
Thank you, Joe [Anselmo], and good afternoon. It's a pleasure to be with you today. This is my first visit to the National Press Club and I'm flattered by the invitation. I've always enjoyed visiting Washington D.C. It is the decision-making center of America. Here issues of major significance are decided, like foreign policy, homeland security and campaign reform. At Chrysler, we make different decisions on delighting our customer and shoring up our financials, for example, through our turnaround plan. So, while Washington debates issues like soft or hard money, at Chrysler, we're looking to collect any money we can get!
Actually, our turnaround plan is progressing quite well, and our team at Chrysler is quite motivated. One of our assembly plants challenged itself to be the top quality plant in North America AND - at the same time - challenged me to shave my head bald if they did so. Well, I agreed? especially since it won't make much of a difference.