Interview with Mary Barra

[scuncio]

USA has been second to China in new vehicles sold for quite a few years - I want to say the ranks tipped in 2012.

Originally Posted by BCreekDave

China will mandate to the masses that electric vehicles will be the only way and they will build the infrastructure to make it happen. We are doing work for Tesla in China on the Model Y and the numbers they are throwing out there are impressive...20k per week. USA is soon to be a secondary market for automakers.

[70 copo]

Originally Posted by scuncio

USA has been second to China in new vehicles sold for quite a few years - I want to say the ranks tipped in 2012.

That's very true.

The difference is that GM made these moves expecting China overtake the rest of the world in economic terms and to do so quickly.

GM gambled on the Status Quo in place 5 years ago.

Now China is now dropping faster than a rock. The cause is the recent rise of populism here in the US -ending with the resulting trade war last year which the US just won and handily.

Finally now the other shoe drops with the COVID-19 contagion disaster- the impacts to China may linger for years or even decades.

This is a fact. No one I know is buying an EV. No one I know is planning to buy one.

As it stands now the US will maintain its status as the largest net supplier of oil, and this should not be a news flash but the world economy is pegged to the value of a barrel of oil.

The way things are shaping up here politically I do not see a path forward for the kind of public or private infrastructure landslide needed to make EV's mainstream here in North America anytime soon.

Companies that survive have to be nimble and ready to change on a dime. GM still has a chance to compromise and keep some of its legacy platforms in production.

What I cannot reconcile and what the GM insider agrees on 100% BTW-- is how in the world the US Taxpayer bails out GM in 2011 and saves the company from being sold off only to have the company reward North America with a future product selection that seems goal set to implement a total product shift that ignores the needs and desires of the very customer base that just punched the ticket to keep GM alive.

China did not bail out GM. We did. I hope GM has something really good to announce because It may need The North American market to stay in business.

[markinnaples]

Originally Posted by 70 copo

That's very true.

The difference is that GM made these moves expecting China overtake the rest of the world in economic terms and to do so quickly.

GM gambled on the Status Quo in place 5 years ago.

Now China is now dropping faster than a rock. The cause is the recent rise of populism here in the US -ending with the resulting trade war last year which the US just won and handily.

Finally now the other shoe drops with the COVID-19 contagion disaster- the impacts to China may linger for years or even decades.

This is a fact. No one I know is buying an EV. No one I know is planning to buy one.

As it stands now the US will maintain its status as the largest net supplier of oil, and this should not be a news flash but the world economy is pegged to the value of a barrel of oil.

The way things are shaping up here politically I do not see a path forward for the kind of public or private infrastructure landslide needed to make EV's mainstream here in North America anytime soon.

Companies that survive have to be nimble and ready to change on a dime. GM still has a chance to compromise and keep some of its legacy platforms in production.

What I cannot reconcile and what the GM insider agrees on 100% BTW-- is how in the world the US Taxpayer bails out GM in 2011 and saves the company from being sold off only to have the company reward North America with a future product selection that seems goal set to implement a total product shift that ignores the needs and desires of the very customer base that just punched the ticket to keep GM alive.

China did not bail out GM. We did. I hope GM has something really good to announce because It may need The North American market to stay in business.

Great comment! You put into words what I was thinking, but expounded nicely.

As the world stands today, GM seems to be placing all of it's eggs into the wrong basket. As I stated earlier, I have no idea why you would shift an entire portfolio of vehicle offerings in a completely new direction when there is virtually minimal infrastructure to support them, the tech doesn't exist (or is proprietary) to get the range where people are comfortable (range anxiety), and people haven't expressed in enough numbers the desire to drive an electric vehicle. This is a huge bet that I don't think they're going to win.