It’s often easy to say that manufacturers don’t care about consumers, so long as the money is filling the coffers. Not entirely wrong, it is? As long as people are lining up to buy whatever is showing up on the delivery trucks, everything works out. Right? Well…not so much. Case in point would be Oldsmobile, who sold tons of product in the 1980s, but never advanced or really changed their game…they made fluffy couches with marshmallow suspensions for an ever-aging market and by the time they shifted gears, it was too late to recover. We’ve often pointed out where GM has missed the ball on ideas, or their recipe for killing off a product once things start to become really good. But the word that is coming down from GM HQ makes us think that at least one person might be eying the future while taking notes.
Mark Reuss, General Motors’ executive vice president of product development, has come out and said that GM will ask the federal government to set one fuel mileage standard and require that a quarter of a company’s auto sales be zero-emission vehicles. While there isn’t an express eye on California’s standards, it appears that GM is looking to try to convince the government to create a nationwide program that keeps California and the nine states that mimic their example happy. The reasoning for such a push? In Europe and Asia, there are strong pushes to shift to an all-EV future, and in Reuss’s eyes, it’s an opportunity to take a lead when American products are seen as well behind the times. It also would end the need to engineer and design for two different standards, the Federal and the California standard. Keep in mind that GM already has EV and hybrid vehicle programs in place (the Chevrolet Volt and Chevrolet Bolt stick out in mind, plus hybrids like the Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac CT6) and would have to make inroads in improving fuel mileage on their truck and SUV lineups in order to really make a difference that will make environmental groups quiet down a bit…regardless of what is going on in the car world, many environmental groups take umbrage to GM’s strong truck and SUV sales.
What do you think…is GM actually on the right track on this one, or does this seem like some kind of chess move on their part? And do you have concerns about where this is all heading?
Another specious move by government motors to pander to the greenies.
Make environmental groups quiet down a bit?
Um, I thought that by now, EVERYONE understood that these types of groups NEVER quiet down. It’s not in their SOP. There is ALWAYS another windmill to joust against, and they do it with glee.
Unfortunately the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and they know that and prey on it. So no, their is no profit to be had as these groups are NOT the majority, and do not truly represent any major buying power. GM needs to focus on what sells and makes money, not buying worthless PC FaceTime with expensive tooling and production costs they will never recoup.
I think it\’s bad any time a company tries to get the government to create legislation in favor of their products instead of producing something that wins in the marketplace. It hasn\’t worked out too well for GE.
I agree with Realist dude. GM needs to make vehicles people want, not try to engineer society.
We are BORG….. You will be assimilated.
Aside from a few vehicles they have a shitty product line up and now want this as some marketing scheme. Going to have to look else where for a new car as loyal as I’ve always been to them.
Seems a little odd since the majority of profits are from truck and SUV sales and not the cars they build.
Just another reason to hate GM (as if I didn’t have enough).
This is a classic crony capitalism move – prepare your company to take a specific action, then use the government to mandate that your competitors who don’t have the same preparations in place get hosed. The government should say no, but when do they ever turn down the chance to create more restrictions?
I’m a mechanic for a state government agency, we have several Volts and Bolts in our fleet. Both have had many recalls, mainly dealing with software issues. Before they start pushing this on us, they need to get the bugs worked out of the cars they are selling now.