GM=CM

[boxcar]

www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Lvl5Gan69Wo

Buy a Ford

[boxcar]

I wonder if they have union problems over there.

[jerryfmcompushaft]

See ... You critics....the stimulus IS WORKING.....

[iyamwhatiyam]

Question to Cadillac owner: where was YOUR car made? Cadillac owner's reply: "China"; HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!

[iyamwhatiyam]

Aug 25, 2012 15:56:33 GMT -5 boxcar said:

I wonder if they have union problems over there.

Boxcar: I don't think so; if someone screws-up, they're shot: plain and simple!

[mcnoch]

No real news, that is happenig in all companies seriously involved in China. And most interesstingly the money used for the bail out was lend by the USA from China too.

[boxcar]

Not only did the $49 billion still owed to taxpayers go unmentioned last week, new numbers show GM is losing $49,000 per Chevy Volt the company produces, which is more than the actual list price (not counting taxpayer funded subsidies) of $39,000.

townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2012/09/10/chevy_losing_49000_per_volt

[Sir John]

Over here the Volt costs $60,000, and that is at an exchange rate where one AUD buys USD1.04

[jerryfmcompushaft]

Ain't government management wonderful??? We should work it out so they could take over ...hmmm...say...healthcare....

[boxcar]

John Ransom says:

To put this in perspective, the company has probably shaved at least $4 billion off its market value by squandering money on the Volt. Right now the company is trading at about 8.31 times it’s earning. Assuming GM didn’t produce the Volt at all and just held on to the cash savings, the $523 million in cash multiplied by the market value of 8.31 times earnings comes out to $4,343,088,540 in lost value for the shareholders.
Those shareholders are you and me.
It would be cheaper for the company to quietly ask potential Volt buyers if they would take a $40,000 check just to go away.

finance.townhall.com/columnists/johnransom/2012/09/11/the_chevy_volt_another_obama_green_investment_loses_a_billion

[mcnoch]

I think you might underestimate the importance of the Asian markets for e-cars. The Chinese government is pushing the e-car concept as there is not enough petrol in the world to fuel all the cars coming within the next 10 to 15 years onto Chinese roads. So if you want your share in this market you have to develop your product-line into this area. If you don't do that you will be out of the Asian markets in 10 years and most likely dead as 60% of all new cars sold worldwide are sold in Asia. As the car companies are living from new cars sold, they must succeed in these areas. The US and Eastern European markets are becoming increasingly used-car markets. So the market for new cars is the e-cars market in Asia. That is why all the big brands have their dealerships in China and Asia developed around these products.

The product car is changing at the moment completely. China is not able to catch up with the technical advance of the old automobile companies in the conventional technology, but with the cards reshuffled due to the new e-car technology and all the changes it brings to the production of cars, Chinese companies have a chance again too. So don’t underestimate the changes happening right now. If there are new technologies one has to invest a lot more money to master the new technology and their challenges. It is important for all the automotive companies to be part of the development as otherwise they might be gone soon. So they don't care what is on the road in rural America now but what will be on the road in Shanghai in five or ten years. Sorry to say that, but the USA and Europe no longer are as important as people are used to think.

[Sir John]

When a new Volt can compete on price, carrying capacity, range, speed, size, comfort and reliability, I MAY consider it.

Not even close yet.


SJ

[boxcar]

Factor in battery life and expenses go up farther. I'll stick to a gas guzzler, thank you.

[mcnoch]

The e-car technology is still developing. Currently it is about on the level of the cars of the 191x. The evolution is much faster, but still will take another 10 to 15 years to reach a level where it would be a real alternative. As soon as it is there might be political decisions, e.g. to ban gas guzzlers from cities, as is disucssed for Asia, but even without the demand will increase even before as the fuel prices will climb long before to a much higher level as petrochemical products are used more and more in other areas than fuel and these products competing for the volume can easily absorb much higer prices then the fuel-industry.

[Sir John]

Slightly off topic,

This Summer will be the 21st running of our 'Solar Challenge'. A race down the 3000 km Stuart highway from Darwin to Adelaide. Straight down the middle of the country. Entries come from all over the world, usually universities.

It is a race for 100% electric cars with most surfaces of PV cells.

The first winner carried a skinny/anorexic driver in shorts and t shirt. The average speed was somewhere between 80 and 100Kmh, and when the sun went down the car stopped.

The 20th running last year the results were the same. Science has not improved the figures.

I expect that the Volt will go to the scrapheap of auto history like the 'Stanley Steamer'.



SJ