Tag Archives: GM

GM U.S. Sales Up 16% in January, a Bit More than Market Gain

Posted on 1 February 2013 by Ken Zino

The strength of the market itself was surprising. January 2013 was 14% higher than last year 27% higher than January 2011 and roughly 50% higher than January 2010 – an amazing recovery trend that should allow leveraged automakers to print money, including GM as 2012 results are released in February. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, sales | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Toyota Ousts GM from Global Auto Sales Leadership. VW Third

Posted on 31 January 2013 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor regained global sales leadership in 2012 ousting GM by selling 9.75 million vehicles. GM’s sales were 9.29 million vehicles with Volkswagen Group closing on GM in third place at 9.07 million vehicles for the year. Toyota had led global sales from 2008 until 2010 when natural disaster induced production disruptions, the result of a tragic earthquake in Japan and flooding in Thailand, halted its growth. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, economy, milestones, results, sales | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Karl-Thomas Neumann formerly of VW Now GM Europe Head

Posted on 31 January 2013 by Ken Zino

The Opel Supervisory Board today named Karl-Thomas Neumann, 51, chairman of the Management Board of Adam Opel AG, effective March 2013. General Motors also appointed Neumann president of its loss making GM Europe subsidiary and a GM vice president. Neumann will be in charge of a plan to return Europe to breakeven by 2015. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, news analysis, people | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

General Motors U.S. Sales Slow in December. Market Up

Posted on 4 January 2013 by Ken Zino

General Motors posted the company’s highest December sales in five years, as well as its best retail month during all 2012, with deliveries up 5% to 245,733 vehicles year-over-year. Nevertheless, it wasn’t enough to keep up with the rate of growth in the overall market of 9% as big months from Toyota (+9%) and Honda (+26%) skewed the data a bit. Some of the Japanese gains were explained by the recovery from the tsunami and earthquake disasters and ensuing production disruptions more than a year ago, but not all. “Not all” is the question that should be much on the minds of GM executive this year, which will see an ongoing jobless recovery and a battle royal in the marketplace. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, news analysis, sales | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

GM and PSA Peugeot Citroën to Develop New Gas Engines

Posted on 24 December 2012 by Ken Zino

PSA Peugeot Citroën and General Motors are expanding the scope of their alliance announced earlier this year to include a new line of small gasoline engines developed from PSA’s small gasoline engine program known as the EB engine. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, new vehicle, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

U.S. Treasury to Sell GM Stock at a Loss During the Next 15 Months

Posted on 19 December 2012 by Ken Zino

It appears that Treasury is making a very bad decision here based on ideology, not good old American pragmatism. It was ideologues who opposed the successful TARP bailouts, and now Treasury – the government agency that is supposed to understand money and stock markets – is also taking an impractical position based also on ideology. Since the end of September taxpayers earned more than $1.5 billion from the increase in value of GM stock. Why dump and run now? No surprise here at AutoInformed that most Americans are disgusted with the way government handles their money. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, economy, financial results, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Volkswagen Group to Invest €50 Billion During Next Three Years

Posted on 1 December 2012 by Ken Zino

Volkswagen Group will invest €50.2 billion in its Automotive Division in the coming three years after approval by its Supervisory Board last week. It’s the latest step in VW’s attempt to become the world’s largest Automotive Group by 2018. The ambitious target that will require overtaking GM and holding off a resurgent Toyota, neither of which will concede sales lightly. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, financial results, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

GM, ABB Demonstrate Chevrolet Volt Battery Reuse for Backup Power

Posted on 14 November 2012 by Ken Zino

General Motors and ABB today showed that by repackaging five used Chevrolet Volt batteries into a modular unit, it is in theory capable of providing two hours of electricity for three to five U.S. homes. General Motors will have up to 500,000 vehicles on the road with some form of electrification by 2017 with a focus on plug-in technology, the company’s top product development executive said Wednesday. Continue reading →

Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

GM Claims Aluminum Spot Welding Innovation

Posted on 28 September 2012 by Ken Zino

General Motors Research & Development has invented what it claims is an industry-first aluminum welding technology, which it predicts will increase the use of the lightweight metal on future vehicles. The latest fuel economy regulations are forcing automakers to improve efficiency. Simple Newtonian physics explains that the force needed to accelerate a mass decreases with weight reduction, for example, less fuel is needed to move a lighter vehicle – if the weight reduction is not used to increase performance, a traditional industry response. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, engineering, fuel economy or emissions, manufacturing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

GM CAW Members Overwhelmingly Approve New Contract

Posted on 28 September 2012 by Ken Zino

CAW members at General Motors have approved a new collective agreement by 73% after voting took place at a series of ratification meetings Wednesday and Thursday in Oshawa, St. Catharines and Woodstock, Ontario. The union did not release the actual number of members who voted but said that 72% of production workers approved the deal, with skilled trades members 79% in favor. The CAW represents 21,000 workers at the Detroit Three auto companies, including more than 8,000 GM workers including 2,500 at CAMI in Ingersoll, Ontario. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, economy, labor issues, manufacturing, milestones, results | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

CAW Working as 24-hour Contract Talks Shift to Chrysler, GM

Posted on 18 September 2012 by Ken Zino

Thus far, what is known of the Ford contract represents mixed results for the union, which was fighting a defensive action since talks opened in August. In spite of a push to reduce wage costs by all the automakers, the union retained its base pay and got cost of living bonuses. However, the controversial two-tier wage system that union members decry as divisive remains in place for ten years. Sharply lower wages for new hires at 60% of full pay would only allow them to reach parity after they are on the job for ten years. This could pose ratification problems. A similar deal remains controversial at the UAW in the U.S. among its members, which was successful last year in getting a two-tier contract renewed in spite of member opposition. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, economy, labor issues, news, news analysis, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Navy Week Comes to Detroit Commemorating War of 1812

Posted on 29 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Five days of activities will take place in downtown Detroit next week commemorating the War of 1812, which gave us a burnt White House, the Star Spangled Banner and finally convinced the British that we were no longer colonies, among other things. Continue reading →

Posted in marketing, milestones, news, people, transportation, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

GM to Double Solar Power with German Opel Plant Addition

Posted on 17 August 2012 by Ken Zino

General Motors will double its output of solar power with the planned addition of an 8.15-megawatt solar array on the rooftop of the Opel Rüsselsheim facility in Germany. The array – one of the largest alternative energy projects in Europe – is equivalent to the area of 32 soccer fields. Continue reading →

Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, energy, environment, news | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

GM CEO Akerson to Auction His 1958 Corvette for Detroit Charity

Posted on 16 August 2012 by Ken Zino

General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson plans to auction off his Corvette with proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity Detroit and the rebuilding of the Morningside Commons neighborhood. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, people | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

GM Invests in NanoSteel, Claims New Class of Light Weight Materials

Posted on 8 August 2012 by Ken Zino

General Motors has invested an undisclosed amount in The NanoSteel Company because it claims the firm is a leader in light weight steel materials design. Through the development of patented alloys, NanoSteel has created a new class of steel that in theory allows automotive engineers and designers to reduce weight with thinner, higher strength gauges while maintaining the structural integrity needed for safety. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, energy, engineering, fuel economy or emissions | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment