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Tuesday, 10 June 2008 |
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Filed under: Car Buying, Trends, Hybrids/Alternative, SUVs, Trucks/Pickups, Green, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Earnings/Financials 
click above image for a high-res gallery of the Chevy Tahoe 2-mode Hybrid
We've been waiting for General Motors to step up to the plate with its own incentives now that Ford has offered employee pricing on its F-Series trucks and Dodge has offered $2.99 fuel to go along with its various incentives for the Ram. It seems that GM has finally anted up and increased the incentives for the Silverado, Avalanche and Sierra trucks, along with the Tahoe, Yukon, Escalade and Suburban. The pickups all get $2,000 in customer cash to go along with an extra $3,000 if you already own a GM product for a total of $5,000 total off the sticker price. Those shopping for an SUV will even get an extra grand. In what may be an even larger sign of the times, for the first time ever GM's hybrid Tahoe and Yukon get $4,000 off, but only if you already own a product from the General.
If you want to get in on the savings and don't mind guzzling some gas, you have until June 7 to make it to your nearest Chevrolet or GMC dealer. No rush, we doubt there'll be a line.
[Source: Bloomberg] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Monday, 09 June 2008 |
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Filed under: Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, USA 
Click the Tahoe hybrid for a high-res gallery
Marketing is extremely important when launching a new vehicle. The idea that you can "Build it and they will come," doesn't actually work in the real world, even when the vehicle is designed to save money at the pump. Such is the case with General Motors and its most recent hybrid vehicles: large SUVs. Despite the fact that the Tahoe and Yukon hybrids are all new and boast an extremely high-tech and well-integrated hybrid system, sales of the gas-savers stands at a mere trickle. High-cost is surely a factor, but, as experts point out, the marketing of the new vehicles has been sorely lacking.
GM's main marketing man, Mark LaNeve, agrees that the automaker could be doing a better job. "There's very little awareness that we even have these products. We're going to be constrained by battery availability, but we still think that we could work it up to 5 to 10 percent of our full-sized SUV sales." Since it began reporting hybrid sales five months ago, GM has sold 1,540 Tahoe and Yukon hybrids out of 57,818 total sales of its big SUVs. Expect to see much more advertising for these hybrids in the coming months.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments |
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Tuesday, 03 June 2008 |
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Filed under: Etc., Hybrid, Manufacturing/Plants, MPG, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, HUMMER 
Gas prices in excess of $4 a gallon and a collapsing market for new home construction is triggering General Motors to undertake yet another round of restructuring and plant closings. The latest victim of the rapidly changing American automotive marketplace may be perpetual green whipping boy, the HUMMER brand. General Motors has just begun a strategic review of HUMMER. Ahead of today's annual meeting GM CEO Rick Wagoner has revealed that the HUMMER could either be strengthened or disposed of going forward. GM Spokesperson Joanne Krell told us that HUMMER's lineup could be strengthened, the brand could go the way of Oldsmobile, or it may be sold "in whole or in part." "The HUMMER brand is a great brand and we're probably not maximizing it to its fullest. Perhaps somebody else would have that opportunity." GM has only just begun the review and has informed employees but no time frame has been set for completion. GM hasn't talked to any potential buyers yet, but it's not clear who would want to buy HUMMER among major automakers.
In other news from GM, the company will move beyond the already announced shift eliminations at truck plants and close four factories. The closures of the truck plants in Janesville, Wisconsin; Oshawa, Ontario; Moraine, Ohio; and Toluca, Mexico will occur by 2010, affecting 10,000 workers. Workers at those plants who are not taking advantage of the current round of buyouts will be offered transfers to other plants where available.
It's not all gloom and down down at the Tubes though. Wagoner revealed that the board of directors has approved two programs for the production. The new compact Chevrolet sedan we talked about yesterday, has been approved for a 2009 launch at the Lordstown Ohio plant and the Chevy Volt has been approved for a 2010 launch in Detroit. Thanks to Craig and Matthew for the tips!
[Sources: Chicago Tribune, General Motors]
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Tuesday, 03 June 2008 |
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, SUVs, Trucks/Pickups, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, HUMMER 
At the General Motors annual meeting in Delaware today, CEO Rick Wagoner will be publicly announcing the latest restructuring round for the beleaguered automaker. In response to plummeting sales of large trucks, GM will close down four more North American Assembly plants by 2010. The plants in Janesville, Wisconsin, Oshawa Ontario, Moraine, Ohio, and Toluca, Mexico are already running reduced production schedules and will cease operations entirely as products are discontinued or shifted to other plants. The Janesville plant builds medium trucks and SUVs while Moraine builds the old body on frame Trailblazer, GMC Envoy and Saab 9-7x SUVs. The other plants build full-size pickup trucks. The closures affect 10,000 employees at those plants. Those that aren't among the 19,000 who are taking buyouts will be offered transfers to other locations to fill spaces vacated by the departing workers. The closures are expected to save GM about $1 billion a year.
Wagoner will also be announcing that GM has begun a strategic review of the HUMMER brand. We contacted GM spokesperson Joanne Krell this morning who told us that the review has just begun and there is no time frame for a decision. "The HUMMER brand is a great brand and we're probably not maximizing it to its fullest. Perhaps somebody else would have that opportunity." All options are being considered including "ramping up the portfolio," shutting the brand down or "selling it in whole or in part." At this point, GM has not had any discussions with other manufacturers about the possibility of a sale, which won't happen until the review is completed.
On the positive side of things, the board of directors has approved production of a new small Delta platform car (the eventual Cobalt replacement) at the Lordstown, OH assembly plant next year. The Chevrolet Volt has also been approved for production in 2010 at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. Thanks to Craig and Matthew for the tips!
[Sources: Chicago Tribune, General Motors] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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