GM to stop making internal combustion cars

[EmanuelGoldstein]

In a interesting system where the truck pulls off the freeway at the destination exit ramp and a local driver then takes over.
Goodbye long haul but looks like local driving here to stay for a while.

Seems to me then, would be easier and more efficient to stick the trailers/containers on flatcars and ditch the long-haul trucks entirely.

 

[kustomizingkid]

Seems to me then, would be easier and more efficient to stick the trailers/containers on flatcars and ditch the long-haul trucks entirely.

 

[Ries]

Seems to me then, would be easier and more efficient to stick the trailers/containers on flatcars and ditch the long-haul trucks entirely.

The problem with this is the hedge funds bought the railroads in the last 20 years. And they have been dumping truck trailer hauling, as its low profit. CSX, for example, discontinued 327 intermodal routes in 2019 alone.
The railroads have this thing callee Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) which really means higher profits, less service.
CSX discontinued all intermodal service to and from Baltimore, for example. Baltimore is port, where containers come and go. Instead, all Eastbound truck containers only go to Chambersburg PA, and then they have to be trucked to Baltimore. And vice versa westbound. So it costs shippers and consumers more. This sort of thing has been happening all over the country.
It would be easier.
But the railroads would rather do simpler, higher profit freight.

 

[Trueturning]

The problem with this is the hedge funds bought the railroads in the last 20 years. And they have been dumping truck trailer hauling, as its low profit. CSX, for example, discontinued 327 intermodal routes in 2019 alone.
The railroads have this thing callee Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) which really means higher profits, less service.
CSX discontinued all intermodal service to and from Baltimore, for example. Baltimore is port, where containers come and go. Instead, all Eastbound truck containers only go to Chambersburg PA, and then they have to be trucked to Baltimore. And vice versa westbound. So it costs shippers and consumers more. This sort of thing has been happening all over the country.
It would be easier.
But the railroads would rather do simpler, higher profit freight.

Seems a good move does it not? Now with oil going up the railroads are in a great position to actually name their competitive price on all of that kind of shipping. It has been the case with the railroads that they are expected to lose money.

I think that is changing and it is about time.

 

[mkd]

I'll eat my hat if GM survives the decade without going bankrupt ......again.
I just don't see how they make the transition when it will make very little economic sense to buy an ICE car past 2023.
Maybe GM can partner up with Nikola and Lordstown. bwahahahaah

 

[Ziggy2]

I'll eat my hat if GM survives the decade without going bankrupt ......again.
I just don't see how they make the transition when it will make very little economic sense to buy an ICE car past 2023.
Maybe GM can partner up with Nikola and Lordstown. bwahahahaah

GM is stilling planning new engine and transmission projects. They will still be producing ICE for at least another 5yrs. minimum and much more likely 10yrs.

 

[CarbideBob]

I'll eat my hat if GM survives the decade without going bankrupt ......again.
I just don't see how they make the transition when it will make very little economic sense to buy an ICE car past 2023.
Maybe GM can partner up with Nikola and Lordstown. bwahahahaah

I don't know the future but putting 10K in GM stock a year ago not such a bad deal.
Bob

 

[jscpm]

Uh, this is the same company that just issued their third recall on their only electric car, the "Bolt", is that right? And the same company that is taking a $1 billion charge against earnings due to the recall? And the same company that has "indefinitely" halted production of their electric car?

I used to fly out of a small airport that had a bunch of GEMs which were GMs first foray into electric vehicles (Global Electric Motorcars - Wikipedia). They were supposed to be "electric cars", but were basically golf carts with roofs. The GEM failed spectacularly and they could not sell them at any price, so they just gave them away to airports. The irony of it was that everybody at the airport hated the GEMs and they were the last things to be used. Preferred were the gas-powered golf carts which were much more reliable. Just to give you an idea of the low bar here, at the airport all the things needed to do was go a few thousand feet at a time and they were supposed to be "cars" and they could not even reliably get from one end of the airport to the other.

 

[EmanuelGoldstein]

Uh, this is the same company that just issued their third recall on their only electric car, the "Bolt", is that right? And the same company that is taking a $1 billion charge against earnings due to the recall? And the same company that has "indefinitely" halted production of their electric car?

Roewe, aka Rover, is a GM subsidiary that sells an alarming number of electric cars in Shanghai (and probably other cities.) The only complaint I've heard about them is the battery doesn't recharge as well as they claim.

 

[CarbideBob]

Uh, this is the same company that just issued their third recall on their only electric car, the "Bolt", is that right? And the same company that is taking a $1 billion charge against earnings due to the recall? .

Will take a charge now which stockholders have to be informed on but someone else is going to pay it back.
Such is the life of being an auto supplier.
Public perception and customer dissatisfaction a bigger problem.
Bob

 

[john.k]

i reckon the airbag recall cost them all plenty......Ford kept pestering me about the airbags...I kept telling them I didnt have any airbags. Eventually they gave up.

 

[pavt]

No big loss if GM stops making IC engines (except maybe the Corvette...)
Far as I'm concerned their last products that were worth owning were made in the 70's (3/4-ton trucks)

 

[Bill D]

I thought GEM cars were made in Finland and sold at COSTCO. The Wiki article does not mention Finland so I must be thinking of another maker. Polaris bought Swedish? electric truck maker a few years ago. I believe the plan is to make electric jeep type vehicles that can be air dropped with the driver and gunner on board. Quieter so the target does not hear them coming.
Bill D