General Motors Announces Job Cuts and Plant Shutdowns in North America

My sister is in Detroit this week for an offsite meeting at her client (a major automotive industry supplier) and said everyone was talking and speculating about this news yesterday. 

Haven't we been here before?

Parody with some truth to it:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2018/11/27/mary-barra-gm-general-motors/2116833002/

This is spot on and I agree CEO Barra is doing the right thing by GM. We cannot keep making the same stupid mistakes of the past and she has grown GM while Ford has fallen 44% in value and is about to implode on debt. All politicians are idiots that cannot seem to exert self control and live within a balanced budget. What Potus 45 said over and over attacking companies, CEO Barra is making sure GM will not have to go back to the GOV for a bailout in our oncoming next recession.

Rock on Barra!

5 minutes ago, dfelt said:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2018/11/27/mary-barra-gm-general-motors/2116833002/

This is spot on and I agree CEO Barra is doing the right thing by GM. We cannot keep making the same stupid mistakes of the past and she has grown GM while Ford has fallen 44% in value and is about to implode on debt. All politicians are idiots that cannot seem to exert self control and live within a balanced budget. What Potus 45 said over and over attacking companies, CEO Barra is making sure GM will not have to go back to the GOV for a bailout in our oncoming next recession.

Rock on Barra!

Got to love stock market, thousands of people will end up on the street jobless, but stocks went up.  Question is for how long?  People without jobs = bad economy = recession.

It was time to do something...but between slashing these products, maybe there's a glimmer of hope they can remake and re-do the remaining set of plebian, out classed and "why isn't it even as nice as the last gen?" current mix of crossovers, embarrassing full size trucks, etc. they have. The shocking "what the heck is THAT thing?" of the current full size trucks intro should have been a visible "UH OH" to days and years to come to everyone.

Interesting news day. Just one of those...time to rip the bandaid off and stop 45% "kinda look we did it" with a too large mix of products. Things got better after 2009-2010 cuts, then went downhill fast again recently, so hopefully these cuts help...something...? They always struggle to stay on point, somehow.

Those times as someone above mentioned..."can we borrow Bob Lutz for 3 years as a consultant for everything out now?" Something. Anything. When you can't come out with an all new full size truck generation that makes anyone take a 2nd look, and most laugh, it's a red alert zone.

47 minutes ago, ykX said:

Got to love stock market, thousands of people will end up on the street jobless, but stocks went up.  Question is for how long?  People without jobs = bad economy = recession.

While I do believe we have a major correction coming for the stock market and a recession that is overdue, I do not think it is that dire when you see a company properly managing by adjusting what they need in manufacturing sites and jobs to survive and make a profit. 

GM has had poor mgmt for so long that now that they have a hard as nails CEO, it scares people. Yet this is how and what is needed to survive long term.

16 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

There was also a Cobalt SS...forgot about that..was trying to think of cheap GM performance cars from the last 15 years or so...

The HHR SS was in the mix as well. 

11 hours ago, balthazar said:

Dude, the Tundra's been here since 1999! "They did" is what you meant to say. How's that working out for toyota?

I point the finger of shame at Toyota for not being more competitive in the full size truck game.  The Tundra is way dated, super dated powertains, etc.  Let's not forget that the Tacoma basically helped put the Dakota and Ranger out of business.  But Toyota should be embarrassed for not having a better Tundra that can sell 2500,000 units per year, they aren't going to top Ford or Chevy but they should be taking a bigger chunk.

11 hours ago, dfelt said:

I almost got a 1991 Chevrolet Beretta GTZ but then drove the 1991 Ford Escort GT built by Mazda and it rocked and destroyed the Beretta for less money.

1991 Beretta GTZ

1991 Ford Escort GT

Had the GT for almost 100,000 miles before my wife was rear ended by a DOT truck and totaled it.

I miss cars with no grill.  This 2 pull it off, the 2000 Monte Carlo and the late 90s, early 2000s Oldsmobiles were no grill.   I like the all solid body color up front on these two, and that is a styling trend I wish would come back in some places.  Almost every car now has the same trapezoid shaped mesh opening up front.

I watched this today explaining why GM is doing what they are doing:

Yes these changes are hard, very hard.  Mary Barra is the type of CEO GM needed instead of All the Failed CEOs from 1980-2010.  GM may need to be smaller than Ford in order to NOT ask for a bailout of any kind for the next decade.  A recession will come and she is battening down the hatches.  If a nasty recession hits, GM will survive.  Ford may not survive because of that debt overhang from the last recession (that Ford still has not resolved).  FCA may well be Dead auto company Walking as we speak.  Toyota and Honda and Hyundai/KIA will not only be fine but will probably thrive since NONE of their domestic markets were ever invaded or conquered.  The Germans have to deal with DieselGate and a stagnant European car market, despite what smk4565 said about Daimler building a new factory for the S-Class.  And on top of all that, China may well dominate all others by 2030 barring some miracle.

The only real complaint that I have is that a lot of GM pricing could stand to be reduced by $2500-5000 per vehicle.  New cars are ridiculously unaffordable across the board.  Even KIAs rarely bring real cost savings versus the competition.  The industry is far too reliant on leasing to keep dealers afloat.  That is an unsustainable business model for which will end in tears sooner rather than later.  I know that without expensive leases and their painfully restrictive terms, the industry could not get away with these insane MSRPs.

Why all these cuts?  Simple: a lot of Baby Boomers (and younger buyers) ditched GM for Germany and Japan since at least the late '70s, and few have turned back.

GM pulled down $2.5 billion in net profit last quarter. They're not remotely flirting with either bankruptcy or asking for a bailout, and they're not in the same hemisphere they were the single time they ever asked for a 'loan guarantee' in their then 100-year history (of which saw numerous recessions).

As an enthusiast.. this is horrible news from General Motors.. that leaves a great deal of us scratching our heads wondering how a company like this can:

1) Not have an entry level sedan such as the Cruze when there exists a Civic, Corolla, Maz3, Elantra?

2) Not have a Large sized Impala or Large Lux CT6, both which have been acclaimed vehicles since they arrived?

3) Kill the LaXat Buick and Volt at Chevy?

But then I see the Rivian.. and Tesla.. and Bolt. and realize that GM made this announcement almost 2 years ago and no one paid attention.. Definitely not me. Remember the announcement that GM wold have 20 new EV vehicles by 2023

Quote

“General Motors believes in an all-electric future,” said Mark Reuss, General Motors executive vice president of Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. “Although that future won't happen overnight, GM is committed to driving increased usage and acceptance of electric vehicles through no-compromise solutions that meet our customers' needs.” Cadillac Press Release

Got me thinking.. Could this be it? Is this the date of change.. sorta like a GOING ON-LINE DATE? 

Thinking.. Why would U need a Cruze sized vehicle if the goal of the Cruze was to cut emissions? An EV would instantly do that. I will be the first to wonder why the Volt would be killed.. as it would be the perfect name to simply go all electric is we are at the point that we can do so with better range than even the 250 miles range of the 60 kWh Bolt. Surely GM can beat the Rivian's range estimates of  300 miles for the 135-kwh,  400 miles for the 180-kwh, and 230 miles for the 105-kwh.

Obviously to me.. the lost of the Impala and CT6 are the most hurtful.. as I was planning to get a CT6-V at the end of the year. I realize it will be available.. but how rare will it be. Future classic no doubt. Still knocks me in the head that the Omega platform was not utilized in such a way that it accommodated not only the CT6, but also the Impala (merged with SS). Alas.. ACCEPTANCE is what it is.. if GM is doing what I said above, because lets face it.. if they don;t move ahead with electrification.. they are DONE in 15 years. I mean it. IF THIS IS THE PLAN.. then applaud Mary Barra, an engineer by training. A lotta people are thinking about the Human factor concerning the lost of thousands of jobs.. Baltimore is slated to lose 300 jobs. That hits close to home. EV and Hydrogen powered vehicles will sit along with the Gas/diesel ones for another decade I'm sure.

I also maintain that I think that research went into where to yank product. Looking at the situation objectively.. if U look at Buick.. the LaX is the one to go.. especially since the XTS is dead.. At Chevy.. the Impala would have again stayed coupled with the CT6 on Omega.. but I have to believe that Chevy is not completely pulling a "1996" and abandoning full-size for SUVs again.. making the case for the sudden emergence of the FWD based Blazer make sense. The CRUZE.. again.. if the Sonic is gonna stay, and its essentially going to move up in size slightly.. kill the Spark and be... WAITTAMINUTE.. Could they be keeping the SPARK name alive and putting it on an complete line of EV cars? Like Chevy "Spark" Chevy Bolt etc.. but all of them EV? So why not keep the Volt.. a perfect EV play on words too? 

Quote

Cadillac will get a “disproportionate share” of the 20 all-electric vehiclesthat GM plans to bring to market globally by 2023,  BLOOMBERG

Cadillac ? Maybe they needed to make room.. for this. 

9 minutes ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

As an enthusiast.. this is horrible news from General Motors.. that leaves a great deal of us scratching our heads wondering how a company like this can:

1) Not have an entry level sedan such as the Cruze when there exists a Civic, Corolla, Maz3, Elantra?

2) Not have a Large sized Impala or Large Lux CT6, both which have been acclaimed vehicles since they arrived?

3) Kill the LaXat Buick and Volt at Chevy?

 

1. Ford will have no entry level sedan either.  Neither does FCA.  They've given up, leaving the entry level market to the Japanese and Korean car makers, who know how to build them profitably.

2. Sales #s of those models are down and the full size segment continues to decline. 

3. For the LaX, same as the Impala...dying models in a dying segment.  For the Volt, maybe they have an EV CUV in the works to replace it. 

Like Ford and FCA, they are hoping sales of trucks, CUVs, and SUVs can sustain them until they get their EV and AV plans fully realized...

2 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

1. Ford will have no entry level sedan either.  Neither does FCA.  They've given up, leaving the entry level market to the Japanese and Korean car makers, who know how to build them profitably.

2. Sales #s of those models are down and the full size segment continues to decline. 

3. For the LaX, same as the Impala...dying models in a dying segment.  For the Volt, maybe they have an EV CUV in the works to replace it. 

I agree on #3. I don;t completely agree on #1. I stand by the possibility that because Chevy is one of the few builders with not one.. but 4 Small cars in its line-up.. it makes zero sense to keep all of them.. as I have stated for years concerning the Sonic/Spark and Cruze/Volt.. constantly stating that the Volt and Cruze should have always been one vehicle.. and the Sonic.. being the bones of the Trax, should have always been allowed to be the only sub-compact instead of having to compete on lot with the cheaper Spark

It's weird, the Cruze was built here in NE Ohio, but the 2nd gen is completely unseen on the roads.  I've seen maybe a 1/2 dozen of them around NE Ohio in the last 18 months.    Yet I see Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and, Kia compact sedans daily....I rarely ever see Sonics or Sparks either.  

The Sonic and Spark are leftovers from 10 years ago or so when subcompact cars still sold--Ford brought in the Fiesta, the Fiat 500 came, the Fit, etc but that niche seems to have dried up. 

16 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

1. Ford will have no entry level sedan either.  Neither does FCA.  They've given up, leaving the entry level market to the Japanese and Korean car makers, who know how to build them profitably.

2. Sales #s of those models are down...

Sales of the japanese/Korean entry level market cars are ALSO down. Question is, who moved quicker to head off the inevitable?

5 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

It's weird, the Cruze was built here in NE Ohio, but the 2nd gen is completely unseen on the roads.  I've seen maybe a 1/2 dozen of them around NE Ohio in the last 18 months.    Yet I see Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and, Kia compact sedans daily....I rarely ever see Sonics or Sparks either.  

The Sonic and Spark are leftovers from 10 years ago or so when subcompact cars still sold--Ford brought in the Fiesta, the Fiat 500 came, the Fit, etc but that niche seems to have dried up. 

If that's the case.. no offense.. those workers and their family.. and their friends.. are gonna get what they deserve if the plant closes. Seriously. The CRUZE is a top notch small car. Its reliable.. good looking.. quick.. has plenty of tech. I tell people all the time that in Germany and Europe... VWs sell because the IG Metal Auto Union has many workers.. and they understand the idea of reap what U sow. Hell I look like driving a Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and, Kia compact sedan when my family.. friends.. work at the Chevy plant?

"Hey Dad.. why can't we eat tonite? "

"Well Sandy.. U and your friends bought a Civic made up in Ontario"

5 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Sales of the japanese/Korean entry level market cars are ALSO down. Question is, who moved quicker to head off the inevitable?

I don't get it.. but U're right.. CARS are just not what people want anymore on mass versus the CUV. Its literally in the numbers. Not one announcement by GM that anything sitting lower than a Trax was gettin the axe.. not even the Bolt. 

A problem I see is utter lack of demand for electric cars.  How about those Bolt sales?  Bolt and Leaf are the friendliest electrics on the market... and they most certainly struggle to sell.  I just do not see this pie in the sky plan working.  There is no clamor for it.

15 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

A problem I see is utter lack of demand for electric cars.  How about those Bolt sales?  Bolt and Leaf are the friendliest electrics on the market... and they most certainly struggle to sell.  I just do not see this pie in the sky plan working.  There is no clamor for it.

if their life depends on it,, I believe they will make it mainstream. That's it.. That's it. 

Except most Hondas and Acuras are built in Ohio or Indiana, while the Odyssey, Ridgeline and Pilot are made in Alabama.  Buying an Accord or CR-V supports Ohio workers.  Civics are made in the US and Canada.  

And if GM wanted people to buy the Cruze then it should have been a better car at a better price.  They never offered a performance version, they offered a $28k diesel that was way over priced that no one was going to buy, that was just bad execution all around.

As far as what products get cut you have look at market sizes.  Mid-size car is still about 2 million units per year in the USA.  Small car is less, large car is maybe 200k units a year and all 3 are shrinking.   I can see GM competing only in mid-size sedan with Chevy/Buick, and giving Cadillac 2 sedans.  The volume is in crossovers.

37 minutes ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

if their life depends on it,, I believe they will make it mainstream. That's it.. That's it. 

Their life according to whom exactly?  If consumer demand is non-existent to a very large degree, with governments in 180-degree alignment with consumers... who loses?  There is no positive way to spin it.  If they are not demanded by citizens, how will these car companies survive on legislated dreams alone?

25 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

Except most Hondas and Acuras are built in Ohio or Indiana, while the Odyssey, Ridgeline and Pilot are made in Alabama.  Buying an Accord or CR-V supports Ohio workers.  Civics are made in the US and Canada.  

And if GM wanted people to buy the Cruze then it should have been a better car at a better price.  They never offered a performance version, they offered a $28k diesel that was way over priced that no one was going to buy, that was just bad execution all around.

As far as what products get cut you have look at market sizes.  Mid-size car is still about 2 million units per year in the USA.  Small car is less, large car is maybe 200k units a year and all 3 are shrinking.   I can see GM competing only in mid-size sedan with Chevy/Buick, and giving Cadillac 2 sedans.  The volume is in crossovers.

I am way more interested now than I was before GM's announcement and implied future plans to see the Honda Passport.  Anything but a GM product.  Further, the 2019 Ram 1500 - Motor Trend truck of the Year!  With no time needed to adjust myself to the new look.

^ It IS unprecedented in history: Government "paying" you via a tax credit, to buy a private (IE: not Gov't) company's product.

What ever happened to Separation of Company & State? ;)

3 hours ago, ocnblu said:

A problem I see is utter lack of demand for electric cars.  How about those Bolt sales?  Bolt and Leaf are the friendliest electrics on the market... and they most certainly struggle to sell.  I just do not see this pie in the sky plan working.  There is no clamor for it.

There is, that is why they added another shift of Bolt production both here in North America and in China, the Bolt is selling well. Marketing has always sucked at GM and that is why they do not sell more. If they offered as many choices on configurations as GM does on trucks, the BOLT would sell allot more. Add in they should have had at the Volt 2.0 release a CUV Volt also as that is what the public wants.

2 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Their life according to whom exactly?  If consumer demand is non-existent to a very large degree, with governments in 180-degree alignment with consumers... who loses?  There is no positive way to spin it.  If they are not demanded by citizens, how will these car companies survive on legislated dreams alone?

I am way more interested now than I was before GM's announcement and implied future plans to see the Honda Passport.  Anything but a GM product.  Further, the 2019 Ram 1500 - Motor Trend truck of the Year!  With no time needed to adjust myself to the new look.

Enjoy your gutless honda passport that is replacing your gutless jeep. At least you go from 4 banger to 6 banger.  

Why is the Passport gutless?  It isn't even on sale yet, but the Pilot/Ridgeline/Odyssey seem to be pretty proven over time.  The Passport interior looks better than a Blazer or Edge.  I am not a Honda fan, but the Passport seems just as good as anything else in this segment.

7 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

Why is the Passport gutless?  It isn't even on sale yet, but the Pilot/Ridgeline/Odyssey seem to be pretty proven over time.  The Passport interior looks better than a Blazer or Edge.  I am not a Honda fan, but the Passport seems just as good as anything else in this segment.

Hold up... hold up.. U think this

looks better than this

Dude.. U done bumped your goofy head

14 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

Why is the Passport gutless?  It isn't even on sale yet, but the Pilot/Ridgeline/Odyssey seem to be pretty proven over time.  The Passport interior looks better than a Blazer or Edge.  I am not a Honda fan, but the Passport seems just as good as anything else in this segment.

Have you driven a Pilot or Ridgeline or Odyssey? yes they move the auto, but performance and excitement they are not. This is just a shaved CUV of those ugly blah auto's for people who want blah auto's. Gutless to me it is.

48 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Have you driven a Pilot or Ridgeline or Odyssey? yes they move the auto, but performance and excitement they are not. This is just a shaved CUV of those ugly blah auto's for people who want blah auto's. Gutless to me it is.

A performance Honda?  An exciting Honda?  You must be talking about the late Acura NSX or something like that.  Honda builds engines and then the appliances around them (excluding their motorcycles).

1 hour ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

Hold up... hold up.. U think this

 

looks better than this

 

 

Dude.. U done bumped your goofy head

Well, as much as I like the Blazer, at least the Passport has balls....something I actually EXPECTED the Blazer to come with.

Hell, they could at least made some use out of this cute Ute and throw a modded 3.6 and made a hot rod model out of it...

That said, I’m less worried about electric cars/trucks, more more worried about the lack of people who want to buy them. Car nuts like us could argue all day over what we want in out cars, but the reality is most younger folk don’t want to drive, or even waste the money on one so they can spend more time/money on their phones or lifestyle.

We are but a dying breed here guys.....I at least find comfort that my 10 year old son cares and wants to be a car guy....

Self driving and public transportation is the future....please shoot me now. They’ll have to pry the steering wheel out of my cold, dead hands.........

12 minutes ago, daves87rs said:

 

Well, as much as I like the Blazer, at least the Passport has balls....something I actually EXPECTED the Blazer to come with.

Hell, they could at least made some use out of this cute Ute and throw a modded 3.6 and made a hot rod model out of it...

That said, I’m less worried about electric cars/trucks, more more worried about the lack of people who want to buy them. Car nuts like us could argue all day over what we want in out cars, but the reality is most younger folk don’t want to drive, or even waste the money on one so they can spend more time/money on their phones or lifestyle.

We are but a dying breed here guys.....I at least find comfort that my 10 year old son cares and wants to be a car guy....

Self driving and public transportation is the future....please shoot me now. They’ll have to pry the steering wheel out of my cold, dead hands.........

Sadly I see way too many young people more engrossed in social media on their smartphone and using Uber / Lyft than wanting to drive. ?‍♂️

1 minute ago, dfelt said:

Sadly I see way too many young people more engrossed in social media on their smartphone and using Uber / Lyft than wanting to drive. ?‍♂️

I also think that the price of cars and such has got a bit high...which is not helping either.

Too much crap on cars and not enough “base” models kinda kills the imagination ......

1 minute ago, daves87rs said:

I also think that the price of cars and such has got a bit high...which is not helping either.

Too much crap on cars and not enough “base” models kinda kills the imagination ......

Very true, companies have forgotten that they have to have base model, for people to afford and start out with. I see no reason to not have a base model car that has manual door locks, manual windows, no AC, basic AM/FM radio and minimal electronics as a starter auto for teens / college students.

3 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Very true, companies have forgotten that they have to have base model, for people to afford and start out with. I see no reason to not have a base model car that has manual door locks, manual windows, no AC, basic AM/FM radio and minimal electronics as a starter auto for teens / college students.

Never thought I would say it, but I miss them....

5 minutes ago, daves87rs said:

Never thought I would say it, but I miss them....

These base auto's were very trouble free due to the lack of electronics and ease of maintenance. Think how solid a base auto from any auto company would be if it was all manual with minimal gov required safety devices. It could with proper maintenance outlast many more expensive auto's.

3 minutes ago, dfelt said:

These base auto's were very trouble free due to the lack of electronics and ease of maintenance. Think how solid a base auto from any auto company would be if it was all manual with minimal gov required safety devices. It could with proper maintenance outlast many more expensive auto's.

Yep, I think I have the last of them....a 2003 and 2004 base Cavaliers. Neither one has power anything! And I can count the issues I have had on one hand.... ? 

Electric/autonomous = utter joylessness.  They want cars to be like phones.  But how much will this week's model be worth when next week's model comes out?  I will never willingly enter a pod and sit there like a vegetable while it takes me to that dead end.

6 hours ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

Hold up... hold up.. U think this

 

looks better than this

 

 

Dude.. U done bumped your goofy head

Why should I help fund Barra's cockamamie vision of the future?  The Blazer RS WAS on my radar until  I choked on the price tag.  The Passport, yes, it is a shortie Pilot with black trim, but it will be roomier than the Blazer, and it still has a proper V6 engine and some sort of ability to deal with unpaved roads.  I still hate the Ridgeline though.

2 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Why should I help fund Barra's cockamamie vision of the future?  The Blazer RS WAS on my radar until  I choked on the price tag.  The Passport, yes, it is a shortie Pilot with black trim, but it will be roomier than the Blazer, and it still has a proper V6 engine and some sort of ability to deal with unpaved roads.  I still hate the Ridgeline though.

So let me fund Honda's vision.. or Toyota's.. or BMW's??? Protest change by funding other companies' change.. cause its coming.Best believe

The "ABILITY TO DEAL WITH AN UNPAVED ROAD" part.. So by that U are saying that after U drove.. after the press drove the Blazer.. it couldn't deal with unpaved roads? Yeah.. because nothing says "we're a Jeep or Hummer" like matte black on the front... anyway.. Post a review.. any review.. and not just pamphlet words from an Autoshow Honda rep.

Some one mentioned V6.. What did I miss? The Chevy has a V6 in the Premier and RS.. 3.6-liter V6 making 305 horses and 269 pound-feet vs the Passport's V6 @280 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque.. OOOOOHHHHH.. because Honda decided to only give U one choice.. and we hate the fact that GM is giving us an engine choice... 

Price.. correct me if I'm wrong but they all start about the same projected price if the Ridgeline is an indicator.. OH! V6 vs V6 price only.. well there U got me.. but again I point to the fact that on the Chevy I'm getting more HP and more torque.. and the price of the Chevy with the V6 is coming with AWD.. cause the way y'all are kicking it the Honda comes with STANDARD AWD.. which is WRONG!!! Furthermore the Blazer AWD system is very capable as it is supposed to be the exact same as in the Acadia and XT5. 

Also.. far as I know.. and this the kicker. As of this writing.. a few months from now I walk into a Chevy dealership and the seemingly SAFE from Kill-Off SUV/CUV line-up is Trax, Equinox, Blazer, Traverse, Tahoe, Suburban.. at Honda.. HR-V, CR-V, Passport, Pilot.. I would say I'd rather take my chances at Chevy

LMFAO at the idea that now we are hating on GM because it is embracing FAR-SIGHTEDNESS... because we love the smell of gas and oil. I promise U... I'm more of a car guy that many.. and if it comes to me having to buy a Corvette or Cadillac or Chevy.. a Buick.. hell a GMC.. with a power-train that is capable of 400+ Miles with me not having to spend $50-70 on gas... I'm all for it. Add in the benefits of Zero Emissions, extreme acceleration and extremely limited maintenance.. and I'm on board.

On to a different  portion of this.. Far as I know.. Autonomous driving will not be the only mode of transportation. If that is a setting.. I'm all for it. Plenty of times I hang out too long and dribk too much.. wouldn't have an issue with my car demanding I take a quick blow-Sobriety check and then say "Shut the f@#k up.. I'm driving Cmi.. "?     Oh.. its gonna be an argument...? I'm gonna tell that car to f@#k off... but then its not gonna start.. have me sit there for a minute.. serve me another WhistlePig?.. and I'm gonna shut the f@#k up and awaaaaay we go.?

^ Everybody is STILL waiting for the much ballyhooed flying cars, going on roughly 60 years now.
You'll be wheeled from room to room by a nurse's aide before you're still getting plastered and having your autonomous car drive you down city streets/ back roads.

10 hours ago, dfelt said:

There is, that is why they added another shift of Bolt production both here in North America and in China, the Bolt is selling well.

Bolt had it's best month this year in October, moving 2075 units. But it still trails the Volt by 1000 units on the year and 2000 is nothing to write home about. Cruze is doing about 37,000 units/month. Bolt is only "selling well" for an electric car, but it's selling very poorly for a small car. Cruze is rumored/supposedly going away, assumedly/supposedly for profitability reasons. Think on that one a bit.

7 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Bolt had it's best month this year in October, moving 2075 units. But it still trails the Volt by 1000 units on the year and 2000 is nothing to write home about. Cruze is doing about 37,000 units/month. Bolt is only "selling well" for an electric car, but it's selling very poorly for a small car. Cruze is rumored/supposedly going away, assumedly/supposedly for profitability reasons. Think on that one a bit.

I think that was about 37k for the 3rd quarter...remember, GM switched from monthly reporting to quarterly to hide the monthly results. 

1 minute ago, balthazar said:

^ Everybody is STILL waiting for the much ballyhooed flying cars, going on roughly 60 years now.
You'll be wheeled from room to room by a nurse's aide before you're still getting plastered and having your autonomous car drive you down city streets/ back roads.

Well DAMN.. I was reeeeally looking forward to some extreme bar hopping and binge drinking without having to pay Uber and Lyft $70 on a Friday night. 

Either way.. Autonomous driving is the SECONDARY portion of all this.. hell.. even the EV part we won't see in complete realization for the next 5 years. But.. at the end of 2019 six vehicles (LaX, Impala, XTS. CT6, Volt and Cruze) are DEAD!!! And will be replaced somewhere else.. GM is trimming fat in its employee line-up which is the real story being reported due to Trump's announcement to cut  subsidies.. which BTW.. even GM is asking.. "What Subsidies" considering in a few months the Tax credit to SHOPPERS is gonna run out as Tesla's has already.  

Again.. if the Cruze is being replaced by a larger Sonic.. and the Spark is gonna continue as an EV along with the Bolt.. that makes sense.. and I have suggested it many times in the past. I would have rather kept the Cruze name but hey.. to @Robert Hall's portion about GM/Ford/Chry not being able to produce a profitable compact in the U.S... I say interesting enough the SONIC was actually being produced at a profit while being built here. Also.. the domestics issue with compact cars laid not so much in the cars.. but more so in the marketing.. and their want to spend that marketing dollar on trucks and suvs.. ironically now. Part of that marketing issue laid in a thing as simple as NAMES. The Corolla has been a name since 1966. As $h!ty of a car as it is.. It's formula isn't much different that it was then either.. and it has sold a $h!-load. Oh.. the formula= BASIC transportation with little to know innovation except necessary safety features so we can sell in that territory. Oh.. and a name that U remember.  On good authority Chevy's Cruze was originally called Corvair (well kinda) , then Vega, then Monza, the Cavalier, then Cobalt, then Cruze. I also have it on good authority that damn near every negative thing that has happened to those cars that needed be called a massive recall happened in some way to varying degree to the Corolla.. but TOYOTA.. Toyota said keep the name.. and push thru it. Hell, if the Cruze was just still called Cavalier.. it would be well known enough that U could have sales on par with the Civic. The last generation Cruze was for a while in 2010 the top selling Compact if my memory serves.

LOL.. look at me messing up part of my argument for GM's new edict on innovation... by saying that Toyota may have been right by NOT innovating. In fact.. Chrysler is currently making profits and has good will from enthusiasts for using a formula that has literally been around since the first GTO debuted. The architecture of their cars is 20 years old literally, but they sell because of good marketing and the simple act of putting a big engine in a car so it goes fast in a straight line.. the VERY THING THAT GM and FORD were criticized for thru out the late 80s-and 90s for when the European cars started becoming popular. Now.. I could damn near out handle a Challenger SRT with my YUKON. SMDH. America and conservatism are gonna kill this country's leadership at some point I fear

7 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

I think that was about 37k for the 3rd quarter...remember, GM switched from monthly reporting to quarterly to hide the monthly results. 

My bad- read the wrong column. Cruze did 32K for the quarter, it's 110K YTD.
Bolt sold 4K for the 3rd quarter, or 13% of the Cruze's volume.

11 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Bolt had it's best month this year in October, moving 2075 units. But it still trails the Volt by 1000 units on the year and 2000 is nothing to write home about. Cruze is doing about 37,000 units/month. Bolt is only "selling well" for an electric car, but it's selling very poorly for a small car. Cruze is rumored/supposedly going away, assumedly/supposedly for profitability reasons. Think on that one a bit.

I think the thinking is that if the Volt is dead... those sales will probably go right to the Bolt. I could see that too. The Volt is at Detroit-Hamtramck which is getting the axe.. furthermore the Volt was up for a redo in 2020.. Who says that the Volt is really dead? It may just being renamed and reconfigured (FINALLY) to be a CUV  EV in line with the Bolt. AGAIN.. 

Haven't written this much in a while on any forum..?

Anyone notice that COROLLA sales are down 15%? Civic 28%? This is a real thing. Cars, at least in every segment outside of Sports and Mid are simply dying.. as one can get a categorized TALL-CAR for the same price with more room and similar fuel economy. This is not the days of U had to buy a compact to get great fuel economy.. no.. the CUVs are getting similar fuel economy to the cars. In other word this isn't a time anymore where it was a Cavalier vs a TrailBlazer.. the time now is a Cruze vs a Trax or Equinox

Trump says GM should repay U.S. taxpayers for bailout
The bill: $11.2 billion in taxpayer money lost saving the company

"The U.S. government lost $11.2 billion on its bailout of General Motors, according to a 2014 government report. The government invested about $50 billion to bail out GM as a result of the company's 2009 bankruptcy, and at one time held a 61 percent equity stake in the Detroit-based automaker.

Treasury whittled down its GM stake through a series of stock sales starting in November 2010, with the remaining shares sold in December 2013 at a $11.2 billion loss."

Autoblog

trump should pay his taxes....

12 minutes ago, ykX said:

Trump says GM should repay U.S. taxpayers for bailout
The bill: $11.2 billion in taxpayer money lost saving the company

"The U.S. government lost $11.2 billion on its bailout of General Motors, according to a 2014 government report. The government invested about $50 billion to bail out GM as a result of the company's 2009 bankruptcy, and at one time held a 61 percent equity stake in the Detroit-based automaker.

Treasury whittled down its GM stake through a series of stock sales starting in November 2010, with the remaining shares sold in December 2013 at a $11.2 billion loss."

Autoblog

So BASICALLY.. we should re-write the rules of the Stock market because the US Treasury didn't know when to get out or how long to stay in. Its sold its shares at the wrong time.. Bottom line. If I sell my shares of a company when its down.. I lose money.. if I wait and sell at the right time.. I make money. 

This is what I'm talking about..

3480lbs of car.. and 630 lb-ft of torque available at 1 rpm