Updated - GM To Eliminate Some Car Models - Focus On EVs - Close Some Plants

[rkj__]

Just now, pickmeup said:

Cadillac reminds me of Sears...been in a slow hard painful Death spiral for years .

I vote for killing Buick before Cadillac.  At least Cadillac has the Escalade. 

 

What does Buick have that would be missed?  They only have sedans, and redundant crossovers. 

[pickmeup]

Buick has nothing most modern car buyers want but it seems to have a audience of the 70 and older crowd . Youth and middle aged could give 2 shits about it.

[rkj__]

Just now, pickmeup said:

Buick has nothing most modern car buyers want but it seems to have a audience of the 70 and older crowd . Youth and middle aged could give 2 shits about it.

I'll admit to being pretty out of touch with what 70 year olds want in a car, but I'd imagine most of them would be cursing at any form of infotainment system found in modern cars. 

[L86 All Terrain]

2 hours ago, rkj__ said:

Maybe I'm just another chump brainwashed by biassed media, but today's news seems more about GM restructuring, than international politics. 

 

Mary Barra has her focus on electrification and autonomous vehicle development.  To make investments in those areas, she is cutting costs by eliminating models that are seeing double digit % declines in sales, and closing the plants that make those vehicles, in addition to moving towards more efficient decision making, and more platform sharing. 

If you look at it in black and white yes that is the case, based on profit margins and future direction. But if GM needs to make investments for new EV's to reduce the overall consumption numbers, why not restructure Oshawa to produce the new electric cars? Surely it would be cheaper than building a new plant in USA or Mexico. Diving in a little deeper, last week the Liberals announced their new potential tax-based write-offs for a corporation's assets. Why did they do that? Because they knew this was going to happen with GM, they had obviously put the plan by the gov't of Canada and this was the Liberals attempt in making them stay; as they could write off their new plant equipment and depreciate it much more quickly. That wasn't enough for GM because of Ontario's current energy costs (a situation created by Liberals), our wages, logistics costing, tax rates and the inevitable Carbon Tax. This is nothing more than our government failing to make our country competitive in modern markets, which our neighbors to the south have been kicking ass at for the last two years. I am not saying Trump is the best person or leader, I often think he is a troll or speaks like an idiot. I am saying ours is literally selling us out to fill his own pockets. Trudeau is a globalist who wants nothing more than to destroy Canada as we 'knew' it, which is the only area he seems to be good at. I don't like to get political especially in the dangerous Liberal times we find ourselves in, as outing yourself as a Conservative minded person makes you a "Nazi racist". But this news has really got under my skin, and the UN news (which Trump refused to sign). I am open to any parties policies, but I will call it out when they are just plain dumb. I encourage Canadians to look to Maxime Bernier's People's Party of Canada (PPC) before the 2019 election because Andrew Scheer will offer the same fate. 

[Jsdirt]

Hell, I'm in my mid 40's, & I curse the infotainment systems! I'd be paying for something I'd never use. I'm still a firm believer that computers belong on a damn desktop, not in a friggin automobile! I have no use for a smartphone, nor wifi in a car.

 

I'm not shocked in the least to see GM and Ford shutter the car lines, and focus on trucks and SUVs. Proof right there that no matter what the moonbatty media spouts off, nobody wants mini-roller-skate, Euro-like cars like the Volt. I know I sure as hell don't!  Completely useless to me. If I want to save a couple bucks on gas, I'll ride my '74 Yamaha RD350 2-stroke. Even when I was a teenager, I could see that a full-framed V8 powered vehicle was a much better choice than a cheaply built, compact, FWD 4-banger. That still holds true today, at least with domestic brands.

 

Even here in the moonbat capitol of the world, Massachusetts (they'd elect your prime minister after his term is done - I'd bet anything), trucks and SUVs are catching up to the number of cars on the road. Only places you see more cars are in the big cities.

[Nargg]

Not sad enough on the closures, this had to turn into a political thread?  Come on guys, working together solves a heck of a lot more.  Extremism and blaming is what splits us apart.

 

Anyway, this is extremely old news.  GM has talked about reductions on models for years now.

[Jsdirt]

Impossible to discuss this without involving politics. This is the way the other side has engineered things.

 

Media is leftist dominated, as is academia. Everyone is being force-fed liberal talking points, especially the younger generation, and many are starting to believe it. Like Hitlers right-hand man said, "Tell a lie often enough, it becomes the truth". Quite a few have been brainwashed into believing electric or hybrid is the only way for transportation, or we're all going to die tomorrow. That simply isn't true. To me, it seems smarter to use what we have - oil is cheap, oil is tried and true, and oil keeps the economy cranking. If you want a wind or solar powered car, by all means, you're free to spend 98% more than the rest of us on YOUR transportation ... but don't force the rest of us to! People aren't stupid. If you sell them small, cheap, poorly engineered cars,  they're not going to make that same mistake twice. Seems GM doubled-down on the past U.S. government cartel remaining in control. They gambled and LOST. Plants will close. I believe there was alot of backdoor dealing behind the scenes between our government and GM to force small, "economic" cars on the populace. Now that security blanket is no longer in place.

Edited November 26, 2018 by Jsdirt

[diyer2]

I guess blaming the politics or politicians is one way to look at it.

I try to keep politics out of my thinking and base my decisions on other data and my gut feelings.

In this case it's the money IMO.

Could politics influence this cutting of models?

Sure, but the bean counters are the final word IMO.

 

 

[yogi89]

1 hour ago, PMurray said:

Happy to trade in a N.Y. minute.

PMurray, If you'd rather have justin over Trump, then move north.  Amazing how our Canadian friends can understand the situation yet many of my fellow Americans continue to be hood winked by the leftest media.

[diyer2]

8 minutes ago, yogi89 said:

PMurray, If you'd rather have justin over Trump, then move north.  Amazing how our Canadian friends can understand the situation yet many of my fellow Americans continue to be hood winked by the leftest media.

 

[Airfoil]

Berra has already TOLD you what is going on...Self driving electric cars, owned by Uber and sent to your door for your one way trip and if your lucky, a return. 

 

I am only slightly jesting here.  The EU globalist,. socialist long term view of the world has been written and subscribed to by most every politician and industry leader such as Berra...because they see themselves as members of the elite ...they are.  Look around and wake up.  The plan is not freedom for you and I.

[BNSF]

6 hours ago, L86 All Terrain said:

This was a given known the way the Liberal government likes to work in Canada. Run deficits, increase taxes wages and living cost, basically inflate the dollar as much as possible, no way to sell our oil, and offer no incentives for small or large businesses. It's practically treasonous policy that will do nothing but destroy our economy. Thanks Trudeau. 

 

You guys really don't know how well you have it in the USA under Trump, mainly because your media companies straight-up lie to you as they do in Canada. We know he is a champion and ours is a globalist shill. 

 

“Don’t really know how well you got it”?

 

Your living in the Stone Age. I live on both sides of the border, and I sure as hell don’t see what your talking about.  Quite frankly, I know you don’t know what the hell your talking about.

 

Champion? Bahahhahahaa !!!

I’m guessing you thought Harper was a champ also?

 

Just wait till the Trump scandals come out, just like they did with the Conservatives.

 

All I gotta say is; Wait till tax time. Americans are in for a rude awakening.

Edited November 26, 2018 by BNSF

[PMurray]

 
[emoji4]

I find your comments (doubly) offensive.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[STEVEN A]

Which GM model has autonomous driving? The only one I know of is the Cadillac CT6.  Is there any other?

[Grumpy Bear]

When I was a young man I dreamed of owning a Caddy or at least a big Buick. Just couldn't afford one. When I got to the point in life I could afford one...I didn't want one. Why? Because they no longer represented what the name Cadillac not only traditionally promised but delivered. Ditto Buick. All day seating for six. A ride that allowed one to hit a six inch curb and never put a ripple in your coffee. Climate control worthy of most homes and QUITE beyond belief. A car that at 12 hours and days end let you get out of her as if you were perched thirty minutes on your sofa. Leg room. Shoulder room. Use the back seat as a bed if you like. A trunk that could carry a two weeks worth of needs for the family of six. Luxury one could literally live in UNDISTURBED. No WIFI. No Shark fin. No computer noth'n. 

 

My 09 Lacrosse seats five well and four all day. Six in a pinch if the trip isn't too long. Most everything else I was looking for she has or does and a shopping list of things I never use nor need. 

 

The 17 Lacrosse has devolved into  a four seater that does nothing well but bilk money from the buyers. No wonder people lost interest. It's a Malibu now. Everything that made a Buick great was neutered. But as bad as it has become I'd rather drive one than any SUV built. Cadillac hasn't built a car in decades worth it's name sake.