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GM: A Reassuring Charge Of Confidence
2009 August 11tags:Bailout,Economy,Automakers,Detroit,Global Warming,Climate Change,Stimulus Package,Energy,The Little Guy,Economic Recovery
 
,Technology  by Mitch Chester It was not just another Tuesday. Something revolutionary took place in theafternoon of August 11, 2009. The American consumer got justifiably andgenuinely excited about a product from Detroit. The ChevroletVolt, we aretold, will perform at
 230 miles to the gallon, city driving
. Finally…greatand inspiring news from the Motor City in an era of extreme economicturmoil, declining industrial innovation, rapidly reducing oil supplies andglobal warming.
General Motors has, with this one stunning announcement, finallystarted down clear road to recovery, which previously lookedbleak. The Volt may someday be considered “Phase II” of GM’s newlife.
Clearly, cutting costs, laying off workers and surviving as a leaner company in the aftermath of 40 days of bankruptcy were not the clear earmarks we needed to instill the confidence consumers were waiting for.Just because U.S. taxpayers took bailout control of 60 percent of theenterprise was not the sign we needed for reassurance that the Americancar industry was going to actually get traction and move forward in thecoming decades.Would GM make it? Was it doomed to failure? Now we know. The company has a bright future,
if 
it continues to be
bold
.We have waited for, and doubted we would ever see, truly exciting news from GM. Sure, Chevrolet is earning the reputation of being the most“green” of GM’s remaining divisions, and the cars it produces are looking better and taking on a semblance and reputation of higher quality. But that is not enough. No one on Main Street believes that corporate reorganization and slick styling of the same old product withyesterday’s technology was the quick fix or magic cure for General Motors. Yes, there had been early reports about what the Volt mightachieve, but we still doubted it was real or that we would ever actually get to drive such a mirage. No one really thought a car could get 230mpg, except perhaps the nascent Tesla.Everyone who cares about the domestic vehicle manufacturers wanted a stunning moment. If the expectations about the 2011 Chevy Volt prove to be real, that defining point has arrived. It’s like we just landed on the moon in energy efficient automotive terms. According to GMChief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson, “From the data we’ve seen, many Chevy Volt drivers may be able to be in pure electric mode on adaily basis without having to use any gas.”
This is ground breaking, and it means so much more, because it is a Detroit product that is nolonger a distant “concept car” for dreamers.
 
Belive it,
 
innovation is back at GM.
We may finally escape antiquated 10-30 mpg city/highwaytechnology with a practical answer that we can plug into ordinary electrical sockets and recharge for next day travel. Needless to say, there are steep challenges to overcome. With the Volt efficiency announcement, the automaker had better actually deliver onthe high fuel efficiency standard it proclaims for the vehicle, with quality. What’s more, it must find a way to reduce the cost of the Volt fromthe anticipated $40,000 per unit to a more affordable price point so the Little Guy, you and me, can afford this desperately needed technology.Ways must be found to charge cars not garaged with power outlets nearby. Continued emphasis on generating clean electrical power to keep
 
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the new cars moving is no small task either and will take much more than one company to figure out.GM must also fend off the competition (Japan’s Nissan has announced the “Leaf” which will cost less and get even greater mileage atapproximately 367 mpg, and will beat the Volt to the market with an introduction in late 2010 as opposed to the anticipated 2011 sale dates for the Chevy). Other car makers are on the trail…Honda, Toyota, and Ford. The competition will be in overdrive, but the barrier to better mileageappears to have been broken.
The reassurance, however, is that America is back in the game with GM’s announcement. Suddenly, taxpayers can feel a bit morecomfortable being the collective micro-owners of GM, when just yesterday, it was no big deal andperceived as more of a burden on thebudget deficit. The Volt may be the answer to the question…”What does the taxpayer get for his or her money?”
As the post “Great Recession” economy takes early form, the Volt has a chance to be the symbol of re-emergence for the most troubled of mega corporations. Our hopes are high that this “game-changer” proclaimed by Mr. Henderson is an indication of a cleaner, more efficient, andthrilling automotive future and a re-birth of GM as a leader in transportation technology.Edit This from
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 Automakers,Bailout,Detroit,Economic Recovery,Energy,Enlightenment,General Motors,Technology  One Responseleave one
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 1.2009 August 11Jim Martin  permalink   “As the post great recession economy takes form” – I think that we are far from getting past the recession/depression. The economy isstill teetering on the edge and commercial real estate is the next big thing to take a hit. Plus I do not think you will see a go/go consumer economy again as Americans are learning how to save again. The Volt has promise, but GM does not seem to be able to get it to themarket fast enough. Instead of bailouts and cash for clunkers we needed a real bankruptcy and a real restructure instead of pandering tothe unions.Always enjoy the blog.JimReply edit 
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