Volt-Talking Obama Bets On Pick-Up Sales
The bailout of a Volt-producing GM was sold as an investment into a green future, a liberation from the terrorist-supporting Arabs. We have been fooled. The decisive turnaround of the company could be delivered by a new generation of big, gas-guzzling trucks. If successful, the trucks could help recover at least some of the money the tax payer sunk into GM.
Forget the Volt.
GM “is counting on muscled up, more refined versions of its lucrative Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickup trucks to show investors and car buyers the No. 1 U.S. automaker is back on the right track,” says an in-depth Reuters article by its Detroit star reporter Ben Klayman.
Currently, GM trades at $25.63, but a pick-up in earnings from the pick-ups is still a while away. Trucks are shown today, but will not hit dealers before the second quarter of next year.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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- Lorenzo I just noticed the 1954 Ford Customline V8 has the same exterior dimensions, but better legroom, shoulder room, hip room, a V8 engine, and a trunk lid. It sold, with Fordomatic, for $21,500, inflation adjusted.
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- Ltcmgm78 Just what we need to do: add more EVs that require a charging station! We own a Volt. We charge at home. We bought the Volt off-lease. We're retired and can do all our daily errands without burning any gasoline. For us this works, but we no longer have a work commute.
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I don't see how anyone thought the loss-leader that is the Chevrolet Volt could have become the bread and butter of General Motors so soon. Everyone knows trucks are where the profit is at, at least for now...
Ah, duh, "building vehicles that people actually want to buy". This piece is pitiful. If people wanted to buy Volts, GM is prepared. Since they actually buy full-sized trucks en masse, this is smart thinking on their part. Should they actually follow the Greens lead and fail? I think not. It is an embarrassment to this site to come out anywhere else on this issue. They need to make money. Plain and simple. What part of that is hard to comprehend?