FenwickHockey65's Great Thread of GM Knowledge

[FenwickHockey65]

https://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/...-earnings.html


Q1 2019 profit up 93%, $2.1 billion

[90503]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

https://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/...-earnings.html


Q1 2019 profit up 93%, $2.1 billion

That's nice...if you are GM I suppose....Profits should go up if you jack up the pricing....Crew cab Silverados average $5,800 more expensive than last year, for example. Plus cheap Mexican labor adds to the bottom line.

I guess it depends which side of the desk you are on that makes it good news.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by 90503

That's nice...if you are GM I suppose....Profits should go up if you jack up the pricing....Crew cab Silverados average $5,800 more expensive than last year, for example. Plus cheap Mexican labor adds to the bottom line.

I guess it depends which side of the desk you are on that makes it good news.

Corporations are beholden to make profit for their shareholders. Nobody else matters.

[Martinjlm]

What I find interesting is

• GM imports GTO, G8, and SS from Australia. Folks are cool with that
• GM builds Camaro in Canada for 6 years. Everybody’s cool with that
• FCA builds Hemi (ALL Hemi engines) in Mexico. Everybody’s cool with that.
• FCA builds minivans in Canada. Everybody’s cool with that.
• GM builds engines, transmissions, and pickups in Mexico. Everybody’s cool with that.
• GM builds Equinox and Terrain in Canada. Everybody’s cool with that.
• GM builds Cadillac SRX in Mexico. Everybody’s cool with that.
• GM builds Blazer (that a lot of people think shouldn’t even be named Blazer) in Mexico and out come the pitchforks.

I’m not certain what makes the Blazer issue a big deal, and what differentiates it from all the other “domestic” three product placements outside of the US.

[shaffe]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

What I find interesting is

• GM imports GTO, G8, and SS from Australia. Folks are cool with that
• GM builds Camaro in Canada for 6 years. Everybody’s cool with that
• FCA builds Hemi (ALL Hemi engines) in Mexico. Everybody’s cool with that.
• FCA builds minivans in Canada. Everybody’s cool with that.
• GM builds engines, transmissions, and pickups in Mexico. Everybody’s cool with that.
• GM builds Equinox and Terrain in Canada. Everybody’s cool with that.
• GM builds Cadillac SRX in Mexico. Everybody’s cool with that.
• GM builds Blazer (that a lot of people think shouldn’t even be named Blazer) in Mexico and out come the pitchforks.

I’m not certain what makes the Blazer issue a big deal, and what differentiates it from all the other “domestic” three product placements outside of the US.

my guess would be the timing of it. You have the stateside plants closing, then introduce a new product built out of the country.

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

What I find interesting is

• GM imports GTO, G8, and SS from Australia. Folks are cool with that
• GM builds Camaro in Canada for 6 years. Everybody’s cool with that
• FCA builds Hemi (ALL Hemi engines) in Mexico. Everybody’s cool with that.
• FCA builds minivans in Canada. Everybody’s cool with that.
• GM builds engines, transmissions, and pickups in Mexico. Everybody’s cool with that.
• GM builds Equinox and Terrain in Canada. Everybody’s cool with that.
• GM builds Cadillac SRX in Mexico. Everybody’s cool with that.
• GM builds Blazer (that a lot of people think shouldn’t even be named Blazer) in Mexico and out come the pitchforks.

I’m not certain what makes the Blazer issue a big deal, and what differentiates it from all the other “domestic” three product placements outside of the US.

Originally Posted by shaffe

my guess would be the timing of it. You have the stateside plants closing, then introduce a new product built out of the country.

True. But larger investments in Lake Orion, Spring Hill, and Lansing were announced at about the same time. No doubt, GM's PR wheel could use a little greasing to get their messages a bit more crisp and better timed. But the net-net is a lot more new money spent in the US than Mexico.

[snizzle]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

True. But larger investments in Lake Orion, Spring Hill, and Lansing were announced at about the same time. No doubt, GM's PR wheel could use a little greasing to get their messages a bit more crisp and better timed. But the net-net is a lot more new money spent in the US than Mexico.

Weren't they announced afterwards? After "everyone" was already mad and the headlines had come and gone.

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by snizzle

Weren't they announced afterwards? After "everyone" was already mad and the headlines had come and gone.

Yes. But they didn't have to be. That was what I meant about getting their messages "a bit more crisp and better timed". It's not like these were announced as they were decided. PR could have better managed what is announced when to make a better balance of news.

[rocket403]

Martinjlm

you can spin it any way you want GM closed a large plant in Ontario, along with the US plant closures that is going to have a negative impact on Gm blowback is a btch.

The Union is still putting money up to keep it in the public's mind to remember how GM treated Ontario.

[FenwickHockey65]

Electric pickup truck on the way.

[snizzle]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Electric pickup truck on the way.

Go on

[NW-99SS]

Originally Posted by snizzle

Go on

Ford just invested 500 million in Rivian for an EV Pickup.

[FenwickHockey65]

No further details, just that it'll be a full size truck. Barra confirmed it in the investor conference call today.

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by NW-99SS

Ford just invested 500 million in Rivian for an EV Pickup.

Well....yes and no. Ford did invest in Rivian, and agreed to a supply contract for the Rivian skateboard. They will NOT, however, be using it for the F-150 EV. The F-150 EV is already far along in development and Ford is not going to flush their investment.

I was on the media phone conference with Ford and Rivian. Jim Hackett stated several times that the Rivian skateboard would be used to support an "incremental product" in the Ford vehicle portfolio. Meaning that it would be used for something that was not yet in the product plan. The F-150 EV has been in the product plan for at least a couple years.

Another thing to consider...why would Rivian hand Ford the club to beat them over the head with? The supply agreement for the skateboard probably comes with a "do not compete" stipulation that would prevent Ford from using it on a product to compete directly with a Rivian product.

Hackett also responded to a reporter's question regarding where the vehicle would be sold. He said "North America". Another reporter followed up and asked if there would be other regions using it. He said that North America would be first but other regions would be considered down the road. He mentioned China, but did not mention Europe. This leads me to believe two possibilities are on the table....

1. A light duty commercial vehicle, like a Transit Van
2. Lincoln

The light duty commercial vehicle makes sense because it may not coincide with anything currently in the Ford portfolio. The "incremental product". Lincoln makes sense because it is primarily a North American brand. They are starting to make moves in China, but are way behind. Lincoln does not, to my knowledge, exist at all in Europe. That jibes with Hackett's response that North America would get it first, possibility of China getting it, but no mention of Europe.