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Automotive News & Views GM News, New Models and Market Share
8375 messages, Last post on Nov 24, 2009 at 7:14 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: cooterbfd (Jan 12, 2009 4:42 pm) |
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For 2008 GM has 48 nameplates and will reduce to 40 by 1012 (chart 5 And you think that's enough? It should be more like 20-25 at most. From what I know, Trailblazer bros, Colorado bros, and H3 are all built on the same platform. |
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Replying to: 210delray (Jan 12, 2009 7:11 pm) Any GM dealer will cover any GM work.
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Replying to: gagrice (Jan 12, 2009 6:15 pm) Not sure how A123 was a scam. GM up to a short time ago was using both battery sources in their development. LG was chosen because they had the better battery technology (per testing) at least in today's forms. Perhaps we do not see it here because this is a GM forum every large OEM is showing their electric cars from Chrylser to Nissan and any of those could use the batteries. |
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Replying to: chromedome (Jan 12, 2009 6:10 pm) Now 2 years from now when gas goes back up and the economy is starting to roll again electric/hybrid vehicles will be more attractive. And many of GM's vehicles are designed with American criteria such as large cabin room and comfort. Up to the customer to decide if the extra gas is worth the American criteria. Many of these vehicles (redesigned for higher mpg) are selling relative to the entire market. Then again GM does offer many vehicles that do give the attributes of high MPG with the smallness you desire. 
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As you may know the Detroit auto show is down in OEM participants. Many elected not to be here due to the cost. Nissan is the largest but there are others not here (Porsche). All the ones attending have really downsized their exhibits. GM has a 2 story exhibit they have used the last few years but did not put it up due to the cost of moving and assembling it. AND it looks like even the Tokyo Motor Show may be canceled this year. The Japan Automobile Manufacturers' Association is debating whether to cancel the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, a JAMA executive said today. The debate is driven in part by fewer non-Japanese automakers' having signed up to take part in the October show amid the global financial crisis. But some Japanese exhibitors also are proposing that the show be canceled this year. "A couple companies are not in favor of organizing the show under these conditions, but that is not JAMA's opinion," Toshihiro Iwatake, JAMA's executive director and secretary general, told Automotive News. The 41st annual Tokyo Motor Show is scheduled to take place Oct. 23-Nov. 8. Press days are to be Oct. 21 and 22. The theme is "Fun driving for us, eco driving for earth." A decision on whether to cancel the show will be made by early next month, he said
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Replying to: 62vetteefp (Jan 12, 2009 1:55 pm) Pontiac will be down to only 4 models: G8, G5, Solstice and Vibe. So that would be, um... 5 wouldn't it? Hummer has recently been put under strategic review, which includes the possible sale of the brand. And if there are no takers, then what? GM will also immediately undertake and expedite a strategic review of the Saab brand globally. Saying it, and doing something about it are two different things. Saturn, which has performed below expectations, has a unique franchise agreement and operating structure. As part of the Plan, the company will accelerate discussions with Saturn retailers and explore alternatives for the Saturn brand. Like? Again 62, GM needs to consolidate. I don't see that here... I see "Well, were thinking about it, oh and now we need more money. Thanks".  Again, so far GM has: - "planned" on gettng rid of 2 Pontiacs (The Torrent, which will be replaced by a GMC) and the G3 which should save about 5 bucks in development money. - Dropped a bunch of 8 year old GMT-360 SUV's - Stopped plans on the G8 ST. But thing is, there are already rumblings on the GM forums that it will appear anyways, but as a Chevy. Wow, big efforts guys. Dick Wagoner is a genius.
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Replying to: anythngbutgm (Jan 13, 2009 5:07 am) So that would be, um... 5 wouldn't it? 1,2,3,4 - "planned" on gettng rid of 2 Pontiacs (The Torrent, which will be replaced by a GMC) and the G3 which should save about 5 bucks in development money. G6 is not counted as a model? As I can see the GMC / Buick / Pontiac dealership channel: Small cars: Vibe/G5 (using models already out there) Small sports car: Solstice Mid sized car: LaCrosse Large car premium: Lucerne Large car sport: G8 Small CUV: GMC ? Large CUV: Enclave (Acadia to be dropped at end of lifecycle) Medium BOF Pick up:Canyon Large BOF Pick up: Siera Large SUV: Yukon (will this be dropped at end of lifecycle?) Large Van:Savana My comment was directed to someone who said GM was not following the restructuring plan in the model / marque area. As posted in the restructuring plan they look, even though it has been only about 3 days into it, to be following it to the letter as far as the models / marques go. They are trying to do something with Hummer/Saab/Saturn and decrease the number of models at Pontiac and doing more fuel efficient/alternative models.
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There was a slight cost difference between battery suppliers A123 and LG Chem, the company selected to make lithium-ion batteries for the electric Chevrolet Volt, but the overriding factor was not cost, but experience, said GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz. LG Chem, which will initially supply the batteries from Korea, has several more years of experience in the "prismatic" cell design Lutz said is needed for long-term energy storage. "We need to eliminate risk as much as possible because we're going so fast," the product chief said. The ever-blunt Lutz said the technology needs to come from countries such as Korea, China and Japan where the governments support this kind of research, whereas the United States does not. LG Chem has a whole research campus paid for by the Korean government, Lutz said in advocating U.S. support for advanced technology development. Lutz said he hopes the incoming Obama Administration sees the need to invest in battery development as a key U.S. competency. Meanwhile, volumes will be low of the Korean-made batteries and Lutz said he hopes if the volumes warrant, LG Chem will look at establishing an American plant to make the cells. |
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Wagoner outlined an advanced battery strategy for GM that includes two pathways. GM is selecting areas it will consider core competencies -- Wagoner specified battery r&d and assembly -- and creating a list of global battery suppliers and academic experts to tap for projects and to help GM develop its own battery engineers. Key parts of the initiative include: • Opening the largest automotive battery lab in the United States -- 31,000 square feet -- that can test new energy storage technologies as well as lithium ion and nickel-metal hydride batteries. The lab will lead GM's network of existing labs in Honeoye Falls, N.Y.; Warren, Mich.; Torrance, Calif.; and Mainz-Kastel, Germany. • Adding several hundred engineers this year to GM's global hybrid, electric-vehicle and advanced battery staff. • Working with the University of Michigan to create an automotive advanced battery lab in Ann Arbor, Mich., and to train automotive battery engineers. • Establishing a roster of battery suppliers for cell development, manufacturing and battery integration expertise -- specifically including LG Chem, A123 Systems, Hitachi Ltd., Compact Power and Cobasys. • Collaborating with government organizations and industry consortiums -- such as the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Council for Automotive Research, U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium LLC and the Electric Power Research Institute -- to promote the development of hybrids, plug-ins and electric vehicles and the related infrastructure to support them. In GM’s announcement today, LG Chem, of South Korea, was identified as the supplier of battery cells for the Volt. Currently, the cells for lithium ion batteries are all manufactured overseas, but $100 million of the new $335-million Michigan incentive package for battery makers – which Gov. Jennifer Granholm is expected to sign into law Wednesday at Cobo Center – is dedicated to locating a battery cell plant in the state. |
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