GM Auto Blog

Apart from the badges, there is a very small difference between the current editions of the GMS Sierra and the Chevrolet Silverado. This will not be the case anymore when GM releases the new version of the GMC Sierra which will be positioned in the more upscale market compared to the Silverado which shares the same platform.

Although the GMC Sierra is being marketed as a more high-end alternative to the Silverado, there is only a mere difference of $500 between some models. The incentives too during the purchase are similar for the Sierra and the Silverado.

So the market may distinguish the two trucks, GM will inject into the next gen Sierra more standard features compared to its sibling Silverado. The pricing will also be higher. According to a GM insider, the different models and equipment will have different approaches and the company is determined to widen the distance between the two brands.

GM will also implement styling changes that will contribute to the needed gap between the Silverado and the Sierra. .

The Chevrolet Silvarado and the GMC Sierra will be rolling out in 2013.

The small electric vehicle concept EN-V of General Motors which was originally designed for the the 2010 World Shanghai Expo produced in collaboration with Shanghai Auto and Segway has recently morphed to become the EN-V concept under the Chevrolet brand that will be used for pilot projects in chosen megacities across the globe.

The EN-V is still true to its original purpose of meeting the bigger demand and stronger clamor for greener and safer personal transportation. It was first unveiled in 2010 with GM describing it as an ideal urban mobility device for the future which may help address problems in air pollution, lack of parking spaces, and heavy traffic.

EN-V by the way stands for Electric Networked Vehicle. The EN-V is considered an ultra compact mode of transportation weighing only 1,100 pounds and measuring not more than 5 feet long. Comparing it to the conventional car, the EN-V is just a third of its size in terms of length and weight. The small configuration of the EN—V makes it extra maneuverable with an ability to park in very tight spaces in the city.

The vehicle depends on electric motors which runs on lithium ion battery that can be charged using a normal household electric current. The driving range of this car is about 25 miles.

GM recently announced that the EN-V will be re-badged under the Chevrolet brand and will have new features like climate control, have a storage space, and be operable in all weather conditions. The Chevrolet EN-V will also be retaining the original capabilities of the concept like its connectivity, autonomous driving features, and electric propulsion technology.

The car manufacturer sees the EN-V to re-invent transportation in major cities by effectively merging connectivity and electrification. Aside from doing test runs in emerging markets, the EN-V will also have a test run in New York.

Selected dealerships of Chevrolet across the United States gets equipped with solar panels to help charge up Chevrolet Volts and also help with the power supply of the site. The structure is called the Green Zone which is aimed at helping dealerships have the flexibility in charging up their vehicles and also emphasizing the commitment of the company to renewable energy.

Chevrolet dealerships in Grand Blanc, MI and Modesto, CA are the first dealerships to get the Green Zone structure. According to the owner of the dealership in Grand Blanc, the solar canopy actually helps reduce their cost of operation and also decrease their carbon footprint.

An insider from General Motors explains that one solar canopy can charge a Chevrolet Volt 4,00 times in a year. The Green Zone project traces its roots from the initiative of GM Ventures and investment of around $7.5 million with Sunlogics, a company that manufactures and develops solar panels.

The solar canopy can actually generate electricity enough to power 2 to 3 homes annually. Looking at the numbers, that will be about 25% of energy consumption of a Chevrolet dealership.

General Motors is actually among the leaders of renewable energy users in the automotive sector. The company boasts of the biggest rooftop solar panel installations in the United States. It also has the biggest solar installations for a car factory in Spain. They also have started building a solar field in the Detroit Hamtramck facility and have completed a solar setup in their Baltimore facility.

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An impressive 23% gain has been officially released by car company General Motors for its January figures. The company’s total sale of about 178,896 cars is an impressive boost when compared to last year’s figures.

General Motors said that their pick up and crossover sales are the strong points that led to the increased figures. According to the press release, the car company’s sales for its fleets have suffered a 7% decrease due to the 11% decline in rental fleet sales. Crossovers increased by 35%, trucks at 34%, and cars at 39%.

According to the vice president of the Sales Operations division in the U.S., Don Johnson, they are optimistic that the month of January has given then a good start for the year. Johnson added that the gains are widespread in all segments with the sales from their new models leading the hike to success.

The combined sales coming from models Silverado HD, Cruze, Chevrolet Equinox, Volt, Regal, Buick LaCrosse, Terrain, GMC Sierrra HD, CTS Coupe, CTS Wagon, and Cadillac SRX have given the car company an impressive 31% increase in gains. In January alone, the retail sales figures have increased by almost 61%.

Due to the high demand for GM models Buick regal, CTS Coupe, and Chevrolet Cruze, the total sales for these passenger car models rose to 15% for January. As for the company’s roster of eco-friendly crossovers, the Chevrolet Equinox has led the 31% increase in total sales. Johnson adds that the company’s average-sized crossovers like the GMC Acadia are also starting to rake in big sales figures because of its appeal to the customers in terms of style, functionality and fuel efficiency.

Two years from now, General Motors India’s combined business project with China’s SAIC will bring a line of three passenger vehicles and two mini-trucks to India which will bear the Chevrolet brand.  This is what India’s General Motor executive Karl Slym.

Slym explained that in the next three to four years, the popularity of light commercial vehicles will rise up to 24%, a rate wherein a foreseeable market growth is expected and wherein mini trucks in the sub-one ton and one ton categories, can be priced aggressively.

India manufactures a very small quantity of light trucks.  So far, Tata is the only brand who dominates the light truck market by almost 90%.   The others, namely Force Motors Trumpas, Bajaj Auto GC Max, Piaggio Ape, and Mahindra & Mahindra Gio, have small shares in the market.  Soon, General Motors will join in the light trucks markets of India too.

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Before General Motors declared bankruptcy last year, it had about 6,000 dealerships. The network is undergoing a restructuring following a mandated arbitration by the US Congress. GM is expected to have 4,500 dealers to end the year.

The plan was disclosed during a meeting with financial analysts and bankers. The executives gave a briefing with regard to the company’s plans as it may offer public stocks before 2010 closes.

The carmaker ended their agreements with roughly 2,000 dealers when it went into bankruptcy in 2009. The logic is that a smaller network will allow GM to save some money and beef up their sales and earnings at their remaining locations.

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After many years of trying to get out of its own hole, General Motors finally wraps up its payment to the US Treasury and Export Development in Canada. The company was also able to invest $257 million to prepare its Malibu plants in Kansas (primary), Fairfax and Detroit Hamtramck (secondary). GM paid a total of $5.8 billion, with $4.7 billion owing to loans made from the US and the remaining $1.1 billion to Canada. According to Automotive News reports, the US government still holds equity stakes in GM.

The company’s ability to pay back ahead of time is a sign that GM’s financial plan is working, says GM CEO Ed Whitacre. This is definitely good news for GM investors around the globe. Whitacre also stressed on the importance of letting their investors reduce their equity investments.

GM’s sales shot up to 36%, though, compared to the previous year. The popular crossover models including the 5th generation Camaro, the mid-sized Malibu and Lacross, and the range vehicles Equinox, Traverse, Acadia, and SRX all contributed to the increase in sales growth.

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Carl-Peter Forster, president of Opel and GM group VP, will vacate his post as the head of the company’s European operations and will most likely advise Opel to find a new top executive.

Forster’s departure triggers the hunt for the next CEO but the most likely replacement is no longer a stranger to GM, no one else but its czar Bob Lutz.

These decisions and movements come after General Motors decides to keep Opel that sell most of its shares to Sberbank and Magna. Bob Lutz will most likely be the Chairman of the supervisory board for Opel.

European operation is not new to Lutz who started his career with GM Europe from 1963 to 1971. He also played the role of executive VP for the BMW sales between 1971 and 1974. He also served as chairman of the European division of Ford in the early 1980’s.

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General Motors returns to leasing some of their luxury vehicles after exiting about a year back. The program was recently re-launched to include some models from their 2010 and 2009 fleet. Consumers can check out some units from Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet, and GMC.

The program is operated in collaboration with U.S. Bank. Pilot runs of the leasing program include vehicles of GM sold in Ohio, Michigan, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. The new gen Cadillac SRX is being offered for lease nationally by the bank. The initial run will go through August 31, 2009.

GM was forced to cut their leasing program last year due to the drop in profits. Consumers also showed low demand for vehicles because of the recession. The economy is starting to fix itself and the demand for cars has been up recently. According to statistics that monitors the demand in the leasing market, there was a 22% jump in the market demand for the Escalade of Cadillac. The Enclave from Buick has an 18% rise.

Although GM sales was doing okay without the leasing program, the car manufacturer believes that they have a sector which really needs it. The crossover Cadillac SRX really adds excitement to the luxury leasing program since it is offered nationwide.

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Last weekend, a bankruptcy court judge gives a nod for the sale of assets for the most valuable assets of GM to end bankruptcy protection from the ownership of the government. This means that the car manufacturer is a step closer from getting out of bankruptcy.

Robert Gerber, the judge who ruled on the case, described it as a necessary step to prevent the death of a critically ill patient. The court has given a stay of four days which permits a close as early as July 10.

The sale will transfer in essence all of the properties of General Motors to the NGMCO Inc. which was established by the Department of Treasury. NGMCO will be known as General Motors Company once the sale is completed and will operate through the corporate GM and all of its sub brands.

Fritz Henderson will be the CEO of the newly established GM. The cost of operations will also be competitive in terms of its structure with standing agreements with the UAW and CAW, organizations of Auto Workers in United States and Canada, respectively.

The new status of GM will allow it to operate and gain profits at lower volume of productions. GM attributes this foresight to the cleaner debt sheet and better balance sheet post bankruptcy.

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