General Motors Company , commonly referred to as General Motors ( GM ), is a Detroit-based multinational company that designs, manufactures, markets, and distributing vehicles and vehicle parts, and selling financial services. With global headquarters in Detroit's Renaissance Center, GM manufactures cars and trucks in 35 countries. The company was founded by William C. Durant on September 16, 1908 as the parent company. The company is the largest automaker since 1931 to 2007.
In 2008, 8.35 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally with various brands. GM reached a sales milestone of 10 million vehicles by 2016. Current car brands are Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, and Wuling. Former GM auto brands include Daewoo, McLaughlin, Oakland, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Hummer, Saab, Saturn, and Vauxhall and Opel (Opel purchased by Groupe PSA in 2017).
In addition to brands that sell assembled vehicles, GM also has various brands of automotive and non-automotive parts, many of which were divested in the 1980s to 2000s. These include Euclid and Terex (ground/construction/mining equipment & vehicles); Diesel Electro-Motive (locomotive, marine, and industrial diesel engine); Detroit Diesel (automotive and industrial diesel engines); Allison (aircraft engines, transmissions, gas turbine engines); Frigidaire (equipment including cooling and air conditioning); New Departure (bearing); Delco Electronics and ACDelco (electrical and electronic components); GMAC (finance); General and North American Flights (aircraft); GM Defense (military vehicles); and Electronic Data Systems (information technology).
General Motors manufactures vehicles in 37 countries sold under various brands including: Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Holden, HSV, Wuling, Baojun, Jie Fang, and Ravon.
The company today, General Motors Company ("new GM"), was formed in 2009 after bankruptcy General Motors Corporation ("old GM"), which became the Motor Liquidation Company. The new company bought most of GM's old assets, including the "General Motors" brand.
Video General Motors
Business unit
In addition to the twelve brands, General Motors also holds a 20% shareholding in IMM, and 77% stake in GM Korea. It also has a number of joint ventures, including GM Shanghai, SAIC-GM-Wuling and FAW-GM in China, GM-AvtoVAZ in Russia, GM Uzbekistan, General Motors India, General Motors Egypt, and Isuzu Truck South Africa. General Motors employs 212,000 people and does business in more than 140 countries. General Motors is divided into four business segments: GM North America (GMNA), South GM (GMSA), GM International Operations (GMIO) and GM Financial .
The company also operates a mobility division called Maven, which operates car sharing services in the United States, and is studying alternatives to private vehicle ownership.
General Motors led global vehicle sales for 77 consecutive years from 1931 to 2007, longer than any other car, and in 2012 is one of the world's largest automakers with vehicle unit sales.
General Motors acts in most countries outside the US through wholly owned subsidiaries, but operates in China through 10 joint ventures. OnStar GM's subsidiary provides security services, security, and vehicle information.
In 2009, General Motors released several brands, closing Saturn, Pontiac, and Hummer, and emerged from a government-backed Chapter 11 reorganization. In 2010, organized GM made its initial public offering one of the five largest IPOs in the world to date, and returned to profitability later that year.
Maps General Motors
History
General Motors Company was formed on September 16, 1908, in Flint, Michigan, as a holding company controlled by William C. Durant, the Buick owner. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were less than 8,000 cars in America, and Durant had become a leading manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles on Flint before plunging into the auto industry in 1904 by purchasing Buick Motor Company. One of GM's founders was Charles Stewart Mott, whose carrier company merged into a Buick before the creation of GM. Over the years, Mott became the largest single shareholder in GM, and spent his life with the Mott Foundation, which has benefited the town of Flint, his foster home. GM acquired Oldsmobile later that year. In 1909, Durant brought Cadillac, Elmore, Oakland, and several others. Also in 1909, GM acquired Reliance Motor Truck Company from Owosso, Michigan, and Rapid Motor Company Pontiac, Michigan, the predecessor of GMC Truck. Durant, along with R. S. McLaughlin, lost control of GM in 1910 to the trust of bankers, due to the large amount of debt taken in its acquisition, coupled with the fall of new vehicle sales.
The following year, Durant started the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in the US, and in Canada in 1915, and through this, he secretly bought a controlling stake in GM. Durant regains control of the company after one of the most dramatic proxy wars in the history of American business. Durant then reorganized General Motors Company into General Motors Corporation in 1916, incorporating Chevrolet with GM and incorporating General Motors from Canada Limited as an ally in 1918. Shortly thereafter, he again lost control, this time for good, after the new vehicle market collapsed. Alfred P. Sloan was chosen to take over the corporation, and lead it into postwar global domination when seven manufacturing facilities were operated by Chevrolet before GM acquired the company began to contribute to GM's operations. The facility was added to individual factories exclusive to Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Oakland, and other companies acquired by GM. GM's unprecedented growth will last until the early 1980s, when it employs 349,000 workers and operates 150 assembly plants.
Chapter 11 bankruptcy
On June 1, 2009, after huge losses, General Motors went bankrupt. Shareholders basically lose all their investment.
On July 10, 2009, General Motors emerged from a government-backed reorganization Chapter 11 after its initial filing on June 8, 2009. Through the Asset Relief Assistance Program, the US Treasury invested $ 49.5 billion in General Motors and earned $ 39 billion when it sold its shares on December 9, 2013 resulted in a loss of $ 10.3 billion. The Treasury invested an additional $ 17.2 billion into former GM financing company, GMAC (now Ally). Shares in Ally were sold on December 18, 2014 for $ 19.6 billion worth $ 2.4 billion. A study by the Automotive Research Center found that GM's bailout saved 1.2 million jobs and retained $ 34.9 billion in tax revenues.
Also in 2009 as part of General Motors Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, the company released several brands, closing Saturn, Pontiac, and Hummer, while selling Saab Automobile to Dutch car maker Spyker, and emerged from a government-backed Chapter 11 reorganization. In 2010, organized GM made its initial public offering one of the five largest IPOs in the world to date and returns to profitability by the end of the year.
Corporate governance
Based on global sales, General Motors is regularly among the world's largest automakers. Headquartered at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, GM employs approximately 202,000 people worldwide. In 2009, General Motors sold 6.5 million cars and trucks globally; in 2010, sold 8.39 million.
In March 2017, Mary Barra was chief executive officer (CEO) and chairman of the board and Daniel Ammann was president. Chief designer, Edward T. Welburn, is the first African American to lead a global automotive design organization, and by 2014 the highest ranking of African Americans in the US motor industry.
As part of the company's advertising, Ed Whitacre announced a 60-day corporate money back guarantee and a $ 6.7 billion loan repayment from the government ahead of schedule. On 12 December 2013, GM announced that Mary Barra, 51, executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchase and Supply Chain, was selected by the board of directors to become the next CEO of the company replacing Dan Akerson on January 15, 2014. Barra also joined the council GM. From June 2009 to March 2011, the company has three chief executive officers and three chief financial officers.
Financial results
The Company has reported its annual profit since 2010. It may continue to advance losses to reduce future tax liabilities. It earned $ 4.7 billion in 2010. The Wall Street Journal estimates tax breaks, including credits for pension-related costs and other expenses can be worth as much as $ 45 billion over the next 20 years.
In 2010, General Motors was ranked second on the list with 8.5 million units produced globally. In 2011, GM returned to first place with 9.025 million units sold worldwide, according to a market share of 11.9% of the global motor vehicle industry. The top two markets in 2011 were China, with 2,547,203 units, and the United States, with 2,503,820 vehicles sold. The Chevrolet brand is a major contributor to GM's performance, with 4.76 million vehicles sold worldwide in 2011, a global sales record.
In May 2013 during the opening speech, CEO Dan Akerson suggested that GM be on the cusp of joining the S & amp; P 500. GM has been removed from the index due to approaching bankruptcy in 2009.
On April 24, 2014, CNNMoney reported that GM's profit dropped to $ 108 million for the first three months of 2014. GM now estimates their 2014 recall costs because of the wrong ignition switch, which has been linked to at least 13 fatalities, at $ 1.3 billion. GM shares fell 16% for the year before a new announcement about GM's lower earnings.
On 4 January 2016, Fortune reported that GM led a $ 1 billion equity financing in Lyft.com's transportation network company (TNC). This is GM's first investment in its reported shareholding and its reported participation ($ 500 million) in the round is seen as an indication of its efforts to the future of transportation, believed to be "connected, smooth and autonomous".
Board of Directors
Starting February 2017:
The presence of the world
North America
In a filing before the High Court of Ontario (Canada), General Motors Canada is a private Canadian company with the company as an indirect parent. Employees are not all Canadians, as some paid personnel are from the United States and work for the company. GM products focus primarily on four core divisions - Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC. GM's restructuring has resulted in a lower breakeven for annual sales and new profits.
In mid-2005, GM announced that its company logo labeled "Mark of Excellence" would begin appearing on all newly introduced vehicle models and all new models manufactured and sold in North America. However, in 2009 "New GM" reversed this, saying that the emphasis on the four core divisions would shrink the GM logo.
GM usually reports as one of the largest automakers in the United States. In May 2012, GM posted a market share of 18.4% in the US.
South America
In 2008, the third largest individual individual country based on sales was Brazil with around 550,000 GM vehicles sold. In that year, other South American countries, Argentina, Colombia and Venezuela sold 300,000 other GM vehicles, showing that GM's total sales in South America (including sales in other South American countries such as Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, etc.) that year are at the same level as sales in China.
On April 20, 2017, General Motors announced that the Venezuelan government had seized the General Motors Venezolana factory in Valencia.
Europe
Prior to their sale to the Groupe PSA by 2017, Opel is the main GM brand in Europe except in the UK, where Opel's subsidiary in England, Vauxhall, uses its own "Vauxhall" brand name.
The Chevrolet brand was reintroduced in Europe in 2005, selling most of the Daewoo car brands purchased by GM Korea. After losing about $ 18 billion over 12 years, GM began to gradually release its main Chevrolet sales in Europe by the end of 2013, and finish by the end of 2015, to focus on Opel/Vauxhall. Chevrolet continues to be sold in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, through GM's joint venture Uzbekistan. Chevrolet still has a limited presence in Europe through the import of Corvette and Camaro, while Cadillac maintains a limited presence as well.
In 2012, PSA Peugeot Citroen and General Motors formed an alliance, involving General Motors acquiring seven percent of the PSA Group. Ownership was immediately divested on December 13, 2013, resulting in "gross proceeds of EUR0.25 billion." In 2017, Groupe PSA is considering taking over Opel from GM, after GM reported a $ 257 million loss from its European operations in 2016, sixteen years in a row of losses for GM in Europe, bringing its total losses in Europe since 2000 to more than US $ 15 billion. On March 6, 2017, sales of Opel and Vauxhall to PSA Group worth $ 2.3 billion have been confirmed.
Asia
The company produces most of the Chinese market vehicles locally. GM Shanghai, a joint venture with Chinese company SAIC Motor, was created on March 25, 1997. GM's factory in Shanghai officially opened on December 15, 1998, when the first Chinese-made Buick first came out of the assembly line. The SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile joint venture also managed to sell microvans under the Wuling brand (34 percent owned by GM). Many of General Motors' last growth in the People's Republic of China, where sales rose 66.9 percent in 2009, sold 1.830 million vehicles and accounted for 13.4 percent of the market.
Buick is strong in China, led by the Buick Excelle subcompact. The last Chinese emperor had a Buick. The Cadillac brand was introduced in China in 2004, starting with exports to China. GM pushed Chevrolet brand marketing in China in 2005 as well, transferring Buick Sail to that brand.
In August 2009 the FAW GM joint venture Light Duty Commercial Vehicle Co Ltd was formed which mainly manufactures light trucks Jiefang.
General Motors' vehicle sales in China rose 28.8 percent to a record 2,351,610 units in 2010. GM set up an automated research center as part of a US250 million corporate campus in Shanghai to develop hybrid-gasoline, electric and alternative fuel vehicles, engines and new technology '. The company plans to double its sales from 2010 to around 5 million units in China by 2015.
SAIC-GM-Wuling established the low-cost brand Baojun to better compete with domestic rivals, Chery, Geely and BYD for first-time car buyers priced around USD10,000. It is estimated that the market in China is about 5 million vehicles per year, greater than the car market in France and the UK combined. However, some worry that 'local brands such as Baojun can ultimately pose a threat to their parent brand if they compete more with an established model over time'. Shanghai-GM-Wuling sold 1.23 million vehicles in 2010, mainly commercial vans and trucks, of which around 700,000 units are vans called Sunshine.
GM maintains the presence of dealers in Japan, called GM Chevrolet Shop, formerly known as GM Auto World Shop . The current GM Japanese dealer is a former Saturn dealer or Isuzu dealer's location. GM products are currently sold by Yanase Co., Ltd. since 1915.
In August 2011 GM announced plans to reactivate its previously producing Chevrolet Blazer as Opel and Blazer Brazil, as well as build a new plant in Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia, which will produce 40,000 passenger cars per year for the Southeast. Asian Market. This is the third factory in Southeast Asia, after the Rayong factory, Thailand, and the Hanoi factory, Vietnam.
In October 2011, South Korea's Free Trade Agreement opened South Korean car market to American-made cars. GM owns (as of December 31, 2011) 77.0% of its joint venture in South Korea, GM Korea.
On March 11, 2013, GM opened a new 190,300 square foot plant in Bekasi, Indonesia. In February 2015, GM announced that it would close the Bekasi plant in late June and stop Sonic production in Thailand by mid-year.
GM announced on May 18, 2017 that it will exit the Indian market, which has entered for the second time in 1996. First time in 1928, when it became the first car maker to manufacture cars in India. But GM will continue to produce cars from its Talegaon factory, Maharashtra for export markets. This factory has a capacity of 1.60.000 units per year. The Halol factory, the older Gujarat with a capacity of 50,000 units, stopped production on April 28, 2017. It will be sold, with GM in talks with China SAIC Motor Corporation Ltd. India's domestic armada sales for April 2016 - March 2017 fell to 25,823 units from 32,540 the previous year and market share contracted from 1.17 percent to 0.85 percent for the same period. However, exports rose 89 percent over the same period to 70,969 units. GMTC-I, GM's technical center in Bengaluru, India will continue to do its global work. About 400 employees, 8 percent of GM India's total workforce, will be affected by the withdrawal. A weak product line and below par service quality are the reasons for the poor featured by GM in India. It will also affect 10,000 employees working with approximately 120 GM Outlets/Dealers in India.
In February 2018, comments by CEO Mary Barra that GM's operating cost strucuture belonging to GM "to be challenged" fueled speculation that the company might release GM Korea, followed by a market exit. GM is currently negotiating a $ 2.8 billion investment plan for Korean operations from the South Korean government, to be dissolved over the next decade. Furthermore, the company approached Korea Development Bank to participate in a $ 2.7 billion debt swap issued by its Korean subsidiary.
According to South Korea's General Motors unit, domestic sales for March fell 58 percent, which is more than half compared with a year ago. In February 2018, General Motors said to close a factory and then decide what lies ahead for the remaining three factories in South Korea during the loss there. In recent years, US carmakers have withdrawn its Chevy brand from Europe that exports GM Korea's exports as it is a major market for the Korean company.
Africa
GM has a long history in Egypt that began in 1920 with the assembly of cars and light pickup trucks for the local market. In the mid-1950s, GM resigned from the Egyptian market. A few years later, Ghabbour Brothers began assembling Cadillac, Chevrolet, and Buick models until the 1990s. Since 1983, GM and the Al-Monsour Automotive Company have General Motors Egypt, which is currently the only traditional GM-branded vehicle manufacturer in Egypt.
In the 1920s Miller Brothers Nigeria was incorporated as an importer of commercial vehicles of the Bedford brand to the country. In 1949, the company opened its own assembly plant and operated under the name Niger/Nigerian Motors. In 1965, its factories and distribution networks were split into various companies and renamed to the Federation of Motor Industries. In 1991 the company was taken by a joint venture company between General Motors and UACN from Nigeria.
The other manufacturing base of GM for the African market is the Industry MÃÆ'Â Â © caniques MaghrÃÆ'Â © bines headquartered in Kairouan, Tunisia, which assembles the Isuzu and Mazda models for the Maghreb region.
Formed in 1975, General Motors East Africa (GMEA) is the region's largest commercial vehicle builder that exports them from Kenya to East and Central Africa countries including Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda and Burundi. Its facilities located in Nairobi assemble various Isuzu trucks and buses, including the popular Isuzu N-Series light commercial vehicles, the TF Series pick-up and Isuzu bus chassis. In addition to assemblies, GMEA also markets Chevrolet Spark and Optra products. The entire sale of 57.7 percent of GM's stake in General Motors East Africa to Isuzu was announced on February 28, 2017. Upon completion of the sale, GMEA was renamed Isuzu East Africa Limited, effective from 1 August 2017.
General Motors began operations in South Africa in 1913 through its wholly-owned subsidiary, General Motors South Africa. Following the passage of the Anti-Apartheid Comprehensive Act in 1986, GM was forced to divest from South Africa, and GMSA became an independent Delta Motor Corporation. GM bought 49% of Delta shares in 1997 after the end of apartheid, and gained the remaining 51% in 2004, returning the company to its original name. In 2014 it targets production of 50,000 cars per year but is hampered by riots, strikes, and national labor protests. In May 2017 GM announced that it would exit the South African market by the end of 2017 by selling a portion of the business to Isuzu and looking for buyers for other businesses.
Oceania
In New Zealand, GM was represented by locally-assembled Chevrolet, Pontiac and Vauxhall cars from 1926. In 1954, the sale of the fully imported Holden vehicle began. New Zealand's Holdens assembly began in 1957 gradually gradually through the early 1960s to replace most of Vauxhall and all Chevrolet cars. Thirty years later, Australia's tariff protection was abolished and local assembly plants closed in 1984 and 1990. GM became a national sales and distribution center of spare parts. In the early 1990s General Motors New Zealand sold several models of Isuzu and Opel which changed its name to Holdens while New Zealand GM was renamed to Holden in 1994.
In Australia, GM has been represented by Holden since 1948, GM acquired the company in 1931. In 2012, GM established Opel as a marque niche in Australia and began importing Opel cars to Australia under their own brand name. However, less than twelve months later, GM sacked the marque.
On December 10, 2013, GM announced that Holden will cease machinery and vehicle manufacturing operations in Australia by the end of 2017. Holden's presence in Australia now consists only of national sales companies, component distribution centers and global design studios.
Motorports
GM has participated for many years in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), 24 Hours of Le Mans, NASCAR, SCCA, Supercars Championship, and many other world places.
The GM machine was very successful in Indy Racing League (IRL) throughout the 1990s, winning many races in the small V-8 class. GM has also done a lot of work in electronics development for GM auto racing. The unmodified Aurora V-8 at Aerotech, recorded 47 world records, including a record of endurance at the Hall of Fame of America Motorsports. Recently, the Cadillac V-Series has entered motor sport racing.
GM has also used many cars in the American NASCAR racing series. Currently the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is the only entry in the series, but in the past the Pontiac Grand Prix, Buick Regal, Oldsmobile Cutlass, Chevrolet Lumina, Chevrolet Malibu and Chevrolet Monte Carlo are also used. GM has won a total of 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships, including 34 with Chevrolet, the most made in NASCAR history, 3 with Oldsmobile, 2 with Buick, and 1 with Pontiac. GM leads all other car manufacturers in the race won in the NASCAR main series at 1,011. Chevrolet leads individual brands with 677 wins.
In Australia, there is a V8 Supercar Championship which is fought by two main rivals (GM) Holden and Ford. The Holden Racing Team car is currently based on Holden Commodore and runs a 5.0 liter V8-cylinder engine that produces 635 bhp (474 ​​â €
Research and development
Research and development (R & D) at General Motors begins organically as a continuation of R & amp; D like the various divisions (eg, Cadillac, Buick, Olds, Oakland) have done for themselves before the merger. His character is fully empirical; it is whatever key person in any company that is competent enough to organize and pursue. R. S. McLaughlin's Carriage Company in 1876 was designing and creating the Carriage Gear. The McLaughlin Companies became General Motors of Canada Limited. Charles F. Kettering's Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (Delco), in Dayton, Ohio, is still an independent company today. His work is well-known to GM's central management through its relationship as a supplier and consultancy for Cadillac and Buick.
In 1916, Durant set up United Motors Corporation as a merger of component suppliers, supplying GM and other OEMs but independent of GM. Alfred P. Sloan, head of the recently acquired Hyatt Roller Bearing Corporation, became CEO of United Motors. United Motors acquired Delco, and Kettering began his relationship with Sloan. United Motors also acquired the company's original Remy (called Remy Electric Company), a Delco competitor. In 1918 General Motors bought United Motors. Various entities grew from the original Delco and Remy, including Dayton Metal Products Corporation, General Motors Research Corporation, Delco Division and Remy Electric Division of GM, Delco Remy (now Remy International, Inc.), ACDelco, Delco Electronics, and others. The main successor company today is Delphi Automotive, which is currently an independent holding company.
General Motors Research Corporation, in Dayton under Kettering, became a true automotive research center. Over the next few decades, he led the development:
- many features of power tools for cars and trucks
- In 1911, Charles F. Kettering, along with Henry M. Leland, of Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO) invented and filed US Patent 1.150.523 for the first electric starter in America.
- In 1914, Cadillac introduced the first mass production V-8 produced in the world.
- In 1921, General Motors patented the use of Tetraethyllead as an anticnock agent that led to the development of higher compression engines resulting in more power and efficiency.
- In 1937, Jominy & amp; Boegehold of GM invented the late Jominy test for hardening carbon steel, a breakthrough in heat treatment that is still in use today as ASTM A255.
- In 1939, GM introduced the world's first automatic transmission, Hydra-matic for 1940 Oldsmobile and will be adopted by the automotive industry later.
- In 1962, GM introduced the world's first loaded turbo engine for cars in Oldsmobile Cutlass Turbo-Jetfire.
- In 1971, Lunar Rover, a partnership between GM's Electronic Defense Division Delco and Boeing crossed the Moon's surface.
- In 1972, GM produced the world's first rear-wheel anti-lock brake system for two of their cars: Toronado and Eldorado.
- In 1984, Robert Lee of GM invented the permanent magnet Fe 14 Nd 2 B, which was made with quick freezing.
- refrigerant dichlorodifluoromethane for HVAC and cooling applications (Freon, R-12; currently known as environmental bad idea [to chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)], but technological marvels of its day)
- a practical two-step commercial diesel engine
- better transmission to track vehicle
- many other advancements
Although GM R & amp; D (as it is known in short abbreviations) begins as an organization mostly built around one person (Kettering), eventually evolving into a more modern organization whose path is shaped by the individual but not dominated entirely by any of them. World War II was a turning point in which military affairs, having mingled with applied science technology for about 80 years, first began to be fundamentally recreated by them. Civil life, too, is changing in this direction. In the 1950s, companies like GM and many others faced a new era of R & D, different from the previous one. Less about the inventor of genius and individual discovery, and more about organizational progress and integrated systems, it raises new questions about where the capital for R & D will come from within the era of unlimited demand for R & D (though not necessarily for production). Alfred Sloan, longtime GM CEO (1920s to 1960s), discussed in his memoirs (also considered a seminal management treatise) relationship between government, academia, and the private industry in basic science and applied sciences, in light of this new era. His views reflect (and influence) broad consensus on relationships that are still largely ongoing to this day.
Currently, GM R & amp; D, headquartered in Warren, Michigan, is a network of six laboratories, six science offices, and collaborative relationships in over twelve countries including working relationships with universities, government groups, suppliers, and other partners from around the world.
On September 7, 2014, at the Detroit GM Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress revealed it will introduce auto-pilot features into its 2017 model cars, which will be sold in 2016. The "super voyage" or vehicle-to-V2V technology may be first times introduced into the Cadillac range, allowing drivers to switch and exit semi-automatic mode. In December 2016, General Motors announced it would begin testing self-driving vehicles on public roads in Michigan, after Governor Rick Snyder signed a bill package legalizing the operation of autonomous vehicles.
In March 2016, General Motors bought Cruise Automation, a self-driving vehicle in San Francisco, to develop self-driving cars that could be used in a sharing fleet.
In October 2017, General Motors acquired Strobe, a solid LIDAR company. The Strobe prototype produces a short "boom" of a frequency-modulated laser beam (FM), in which the frequencies in each twitter vary linearly. Measuring an echoing phase and frequency chirp allows the system to directly measure the distance and velocity of objects on the front road. Strobe, Cruise, and GM will work together to develop the technology for self-driving cars in the future.
In November 2017 Two self-propelled Chevy Bolt EV cars were seen during a media event by Cruise Automation, GM's autonomous car unit, in San Francisco, California, USA. This car manufacturer has operated a Chevy Bolt which drives itself in San Francisco as part of a beta test run by a subsidiary company.
Small car sales
From the 1920s onwards, General Motors always maintained an internal dialogue about what the economic car policy and its small car should be. Economic considerations and measures often overlap naturally, although strong differences are always drawn in the 20th century between policies for US markets and policies for other markets. Economies (in some forms) always have good demand anywhere, but the old US definitions are considered different from those in other markets. In this view, "economy" in the US does not mean "small" in what sense qualifies as "small" outside the US. Policy discussions often focus on topics such as higher demand for really small cars in non-US markets than in the US, and does it make more sense to import cars into certain countries or build them domestically in the country, as well as some a knockdown variant or with a vast domestic source. The acquisition of GM Vauxhall Motors Ltd (UK, 1925) and Adam Opel AG (Germany, 1929), instead of starting a new domestic company to compete with them, is based on an analysis that convinces GM managers that acquiring existing domestic manufacturers is a better business decision.
Although GM since 1920 has always offered economic models in the US market (relative to the definition of that market within a certain decade), and has conducted research and development in the 1940s and 1950s in preparation for any potential strong demand increase for automobiles really small. in the US market, he has also been criticized for decades for not doing enough to promote fuel efficiency in the US market in the 1970s to the 1990s. GM's response is that it always responds to market demand, and that most Americans, despite whatever they say otherwise, do not really demand (at the time of purchase decision) small size or fuel efficiency in their vehicles for any large or perennial rate. Although some US consumers flocked temporarily to the ideal fuel economy whenever a fuel supply crisis emerged (such as 1973 and 1979), they flocked equally enthusiastically with the SUV when fuel was cheap in the 1980s and 1990s while protecting it from any downside to this option.
Since the return of high fuel prices in the 2000s and 2010s, GM's interest in a truly small car program for the US market has been updated. As part of the development of General Motors Company, GM revived one of the unemployed US factories to produce small cars in Orion, Michigan, with the creation of 1,200 American jobs. This will be the first time GM has produced compact cars in the United States since Chevrolet Chevette ended production in 1986. The retooled plant will be able to build 160,000 cars per year, including small and compact vehicles. Production begins at the end of 2011 with Chevrolet Sonic.
Environmental Initiatives
General Motors has published principles on the environment and maintains a vast website to inform the public. In 2008, General Motors committed to engineer half of its plants for landfill free. To achieve landfill-free status, waste production is recycled or reused in the manufacturing process.
Installation of the world's largest solar roof installed in General Motors, Zaragoza Spain Manufacturing Plant in autumn 2008. Zaragoza solar installation has about 2,000,000 square feet (190,000 m 2 ) roof in the factory and contains about 85,000 solar panels. The installation was built, owned and operated by Veolia Environment and Clairvoyant Energy, which leased the roof area of ​​General Motors. In 2011, General Motors also invested $ 7.5 million in solar panel provider Sunlogics, which will install solar panels at GM facilities.
GM has long worked on alternative technology vehicles, and has led the industry with a flexible ethanol-combustion fuel vehicle that can run on either E85 (ethanol) or gasoline. The company was the first to use a turbocharger and was an early supporter of the V6 engine in the 1960s, but quickly lost interest as the popularity of muscle cars increased. They showed gas turbine-driven gas turbines, a field of interest throughout the industry, but abandoned alternative engine configurations in view of the 1973 oil crisis. In the 1970s and 1980s, GM pushed profits from diesel engines and technology deactivation of cylinders with poor results due to poor durability in oldsmobile diesel engines and drivability issues in Cadillac V8-6-4 variable-cylinder engines. In 1987, GM, along with AeroVironment, built the Sunraycer, which won the inaugural World World Challenge and was an advanced technology exhibition. Most of the technology from Sunraycer finds its way into the Prototype Impact electric vehicle (also built by Aerovironment) and is the predecessor of General Motors EV1.
GM supports a standard compromise version of the Average Economic Improvement Efficiency of the Corporation (CAFE) from 27 to 35 mpg -US (8.7 to 6.7 â € <â €
The company has publicly announced that they are committed to investing in electric cars. In October 2017, GM's executive vice president for global development, Mark Reuss, announced that GM's lineup of vehicles will feature 20 models of electric cars by 2023.
Hybrid electric vehicles
In May 2004, GM delivered the world's first full-sized hybrid pickup, Silverado/Sierra 1/2-ton. This lightweight hybrid does not use electrical energy for propulsion, such as GM's design later on. In 2005, the hybrid diesel concept vehicle of the Opel Astra diesel was introduced. Saturn Vue Green Line 2006 is GM's first hybrid passenger vehicle and is also a lightweight design. GM has hinted that new hybrid technology will be used that will be optimized for higher speeds on the freeway driving.
GM currently offers a 2-mode hybrid system used by Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon/Cadillac Escalade, and GM 1/2 half ton pickup and will be used on other vehicles.
In the framework of its vehicle electrification strategy, GM introduced the Chevrolet Volt in 2010, an electric vehicle with a backup generator powered by gasoline. Production of the Chevrolet Volt is available at the end of 2010 as a 2011 model with limited availability. GM sends the first Volt during December 2010.
GM Magic Bus is a hybrid-powered bus.
All electric vehicles
General Motors is the first company (in the modern era) that released the all-electric car. In 1990, GM debuted the "Impact" concept car at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It was the first car with zero emissions marketed in the US in more than three decades. The impact was eventually produced as an EV1 for the 1996 model. It is available through dealers located in only a few areas (eg, California, Arizona, Georgia). Vehicles are leased, not sold, to individuals. In 1999 GM decided to discontinue vehicle production. When an individual lease is over, they refuse to renew the lease or allow the lessor to buy it. All EV1 eventually returned to General Motors and, with the exception of some who donated to the museum, everything was destroyed. Documentary Films Who Kills Electric Cars? cover the story of EV1.
The EV1 cancellation has disappointed the electric vehicle supporters. In 2010, GM debuted the Chevrolet Volt, a hybrid plug-in hybrid vehicle with a backup generator powered by gasoline (expanded electric vehicle). General Motors has announced that it is building a prototype two-seat electric vehicle with the Segway. Initial prototype of Urban Mobility vehicle and Personal Accessibility - dubbed Project P.U.M.A. - presented in New York at the 2009 New York International Automotive Exhibition.
In October 2011, General Motors announced the production of the Chevrolet Spark EV, the all-electric version of the third-generation Chevrolet Spark, with limited availability to choose the US and global markets. In October 2012, GM Korea announced it will start making and selling the Spark EV domestically in 2013. The production version was launched at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. In the framework of GM's electrification strategy, the Spark EV is the first electric passenger car marketed by General Motors in the US since EV1 was discontinued in 1999. Spark EV was released in the US on select markets in California and Oregon in June 2013. Retail sales began in South Korea in October 2013. GM also plans to sell Spark EVs in limited quantities in Canada and choose the market Europe.
GM started production of the Chevrolet Bolt EV in October 2016, the first affordable all-electric electric car market with a range of more than 200 miles (320 km). Deliveries in California are scheduled to begin by the end of 2016. The vehicle will be launched in all 50 US states and analysts expect to sell around 30,000 units per year, although GM itself has not confirmed these estimates. The battery pack and most of the drivetrain components are built by LG and assembled at GM's Orion plant.
Battery pack for electric vehicle
GM builds battery packs in southern Michigan. GM also established automotive battery labs in Michigan. GM will be responsible for battery and power electronics management systems, thermal management, and assembly packages. The existing GM facility at Brownstown Township was chosen to be upgraded as a battery pack factory. A subsidiary of LG Chem in the US, Compact Power of Troy, Michigan, has developed a prototype package for development vehicles and will continue to provide integration support and act as a liaison for the program.
Hydrogen initiative
GM Electrovan in 1966 is credited as the first hydrogen fuel cell car ever produced. Although fuel cells have existed since the early 1800s, General Motors was the first to use fuel cells, supplied by Union Carbide, to power the wheels of a vehicle with a "millions of dollars" budget. In 2002, it was reported that GM spent about $ 100 million per year in research and development of fuel cell vehicles. In June 2007, Larry Burns, vice president of research and development, said he did not want to say exactly when a hydrogen vehicle would be mass produced, but he said it should happen before 2020, a year many experts predict. He said, "I sure will be disappointed if we are not there" before 2020.
On July 2, 2013, GM and Honda announced a partnership to develop a fuel cell system and hydrogen storage technology for the 2020 time frame. GM and Honda are leaders in fuel cell technology, ranked No. 1 and No. 1. 2, respectively, in total fuel cell patents filed between 2002 and 2012, with more than 1,200 among them according to the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index.
Flexible fuel vehicles
GM manufactures several flexible fuel vehicles that can operate on E75 or gasoline ethanol fuels, or a mixture of both. Since 2006 GM began displaying a bright yellow gas cap to remind the driver of the E85 capability.
GM is the leader in E85 flexible fuel vehicles, with over 6 million FlexFuel vehicles on the road in the US In 2010, GM pledged to have more than half their annual vehicle production into E85 or biodiesel capable by 2012. By 2012, GM offers 20 FlexFuel-enabled ethanol cars and trucks in the US, and offers more FlexFuel vehicle models than any other car manufacturer.
Philanthropy
Since 1994, General Motors has donated more than $ 23 million in cash and vehicles to the Nature Conservancy, and funding from GM supports many conservation projects.
In 1996, GMC partnered with the fashion industry as part of the GM/CFDA Concept: Cure , a collaboration between General Motors and the Fashion industry that brings awareness and fundraising for breast cancer. The program involves 5 designers, each lending their artistic talents to customize 5 different vehicles. Nicole Miller, Richard Tyler, Anna Sui, Todd Oldham and Mark Eisen were assigned to change Cadillac STS, Buick Riviera, GMC Yukon, Oldsmobile Bravada and Chevrolet Camaro Z28, respectively. The cars were then auctioned off with the results presented to Nina Hyde Center at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show in 1997.
Since 1997, the GM Foundation has been a source of funding for the Safe Kids Buckle Up program from Safe Kids USA, a national initiative to ensure the safety of children's cars through education and inspection.
Through 2002, the PACE Award program, led by GM, EDS, and SUN Microsystems, has provided over $ 1.2 billion of in-kind contributions that include computers to more than 18 universities to support technical education. In 2009, the GM-led group has helped the Pace Awards program worldwide.
In 2004, GM provided $ 51,200,000 in cash donations and $ 17,200 in donations for charity.
The General Motors Foundation (GM Foundation) received a philanthropic legacy from General Motors. This is the foundation of 501 (c) (3) established in 1976.
Brand reorganization
When it emerged from bankruptcy and corporate reorganization in 2010, GM reorganized its content and brand portfolio structure (its brand architecture). Some nameplates like Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer, and service brands like Goodwrench are discontinued. Others, like Saab, are sold. The practice of putting "GM Mark of Excellence" on every car, no matter what brand it was, was discontinued in August 2009. The company has moved from a company-supported hybrid brand architectural structure, in which GM supports every brand into a double brand. structure of the company's invisible brand architecture. The familiar blue "badges" of the company have been removed from websites and ads, for the sake of fine-grained text-new logos on their US sites; Canadian sites still retain the blue "badge". In 2011, GM stopped Daewoo brand in South Korea and replaced it with Chevrolet brand.
GM describes their brand politics as having "two brands" that "will drive our global growth, they are Chevrolet, which embodies the quality of value, reliability, performance and expressive design, and Cadillac, which creates a provocative and powerful luxury vehicle. the Holden, Buick, GMC, and Baojun brands are being carefully cultivated to satisfy as many customers as possible in certain areas. "
The discontinued brand
The 1936-1937 Flint sat on strike against General Motors turning the United Automobile Workers (UAW) from a collection of isolated local residents on the outskirts of industry into a major trade union and leading to the unification of the US domestic automobile industry.
After the first convention of the UAW in 1936, the union decided that it could not survive by organizing campaigns piecemeal in smaller plants, as happened in the past, but it could set the car industry only by pursuing its biggest and strongest employer. , General Motors Corporation, focuses on GM's production complex in Flint, Michigan.
Organizing in Flint is a difficult and dangerous plan. GM controls city politics in Flint and keeps an eye on outsiders. According to Wyndham Mortimer, UAW officers were responsible for organizing campaigns at Flint, he received death threats by an anonymous caller when he visited Flint in 1936. GM also maintains an extensive spy network throughout its plant. This forces UAW members to keep the names of new members in secret and meet workers in their homes.
When the UAW studied its target, he discovered that GM had only two dies-producing plants with car components stamped: one in Flint that produced parts for Buick, Pontiacs, and Oldsmobiles, and others in Cleveland that produced Chevrolet parts..
When the UAW calls a strike sitting in Flint. The police, armed with guns and tear gas, attempted to enter the Fisher Body 2 plant on January 11, 1937. The strikers inside the factory pelted them with hinges, bottles, and bolts. At that time, Vice President John Nance Garner supported a federal intervention to break Flint Strike, but this idea was rejected by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The president urged GM to distinguish the union so the plants could be reopened. The strike ended after 44 days.
The development forced GM to negotiate with trade unions. John L. Lewis, President of United Mine Workers and founder and chairman of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, spoke for the UAW in the negotiations; UAW President Homer Martin was sent on a speaking tour to keep him away from the street. GM representatives refuse to be in the same room as the UAW, so Governor Frank Murphy acts as a courier and intermediary between the two groups. Governor Murphy sent a US National Guard, not to expel strikers, but to protect them from the police and strikes the company. The two parties finally reached an agreement on 11 February 1937 on a one-page agreement recognizing UAW as an exclusive bargaining representative for GM employees who were union members over the next six months.
Death tools and strikes of 1939
The tool and the death strike of 1939, also known as the "strike strategy", was the most successful effort by the United Automatic Workers Union (UAW) to be recognized as a sole representative for General Motors workers. In addition to representation rights, the UAW, in collaboration with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIOs), seeks to resolve existing complaints from skilled workers.
Description of United Auto Workers (UAW) 1945-46
From November 21, 1945 to March 13, 1946 (113 days), the United Automobile Workers (UAW) CIO, organized "320,000 hourly workers" to form a US attack on General Motors Corporation, the workers employed sit-down tactics. It was "the longest strike against major manufacturers" ever seen by the UAW, and it was also "the longest national GM strike in its history." As director of the UAW General Motors Department, Walter Reuther advised his colleagues the idea of ​​attacking a GM manufacturing plant with a 'one-on-time' strategy, "intended to maximize pressure on the target company." Reuther also putting forward the demands of strikers: a 30 percent wage increase and sticking to product prices. However, the strike ended in dissatisfaction with Walter Reuther and UAW, and the workers received only a 17.5 per cent wage increase.
General Motors 2007 strike
The 2007 General Motors strike was a strike from 24-26 September 2007 by the United Auto Workers against General Motors.
On September 24, 2007, General Motors workers represented by the United Auto Workers union strike the company. The first US strike against GM since 1970 is expected to be unemployed 59 factories and facilities for unlimited time. The talks failed after more than 20 days of bargaining failed to produce a new contract. Key issues that prove to be a barrier to an agreement include wages, benefits, job security and investment in US facilities.
Within hours, a ripple effect was felt in Canada with the closure of two car assembly plants in Oshawa, Ontario, and a transmission facility in Windsor on 25 September. However, on September 26, a tentative agreement was reached, and the end of the strike was announced by UAW officials in a press conference at 4 am. The next day, all GM workers in both countries returned to work.
Controversy
Streetcar ConspiracyStreetcar Conspiracy
Between 1938 and 1950, General Motors (GM) monopolized the sale of buses and supplies to National City Lines (NCL) and its subsidiaries, as part of a deliberate plan to buy and dismantle tram systems in many cities in the United States in an effort to monopolize surface transport.
Ralph Nader and Corvair
Not Rechargeable at Any Speed ​​ by Ralph Nader, published in 1965, is a pioneering book that accuses car manufacturers of being slow to introduce security features, and is reluctant to spend money on improving safety. The subject of this book is probably the most widely known, GM Chevrolet Corvair rear-engined, covered in the first chapter. This relates to the first model (1960-1964) which has a swing suspension design that tends to "tuck it down" under certain conditions. In substitution for cost reduction from the front stabilizer bar (anti-roll bar), Corvairs requires tire pressure that is beyond the tolerance recommended by tire manufacturers. Corvair relies on very high front from front to rear differential pressure (front 15psi, 26psi rear, when cool, 18 psi and 30psi heat), and if one tire increases the same, as standard practice for all other cars at that time, the result is a dangerous oversteer.
In early March 1966, several media, including The New Republic and The New York Times, alleged that GM had tried to discredit Ralph Nader, hired a private detective to tap his phone and investigate the and hired prostitutes to trap him in dangerous situations. Nader sued the company for a privacy violation and settled the case for $ 425,000. Nader's lawsuit against GM was ultimately decided by the New York Appellate Court, whose opinion in this case extended the lawsuit to cover "oversight". Nader used the proceeds of the lawsuit to start a pro-consumer Responsive Study Center.
A 1972 safety commission report by Texas A & amp; M University concludes that Corvair 1960-1963 has no greater potential for losing control than its contemporary contenders in extreme situations. The US Department of Transport (DOT) issued a press release in 1972 describing the findings of NHTSA testing from the previous year. NHTSA has conducted a series of comparative tests in 1971 studying the 1963 Corvair handling and four contemporary cars - Ford Falcon, Plymouth Valiant, Volkswagen Beetle, and Renault Dauphine - along with second generation Corvair (with a completely redesigned, independent rear suspension). The 143 page report reviews NHTSA extreme conditions handling tests, national crash data for test cars and General Motors internal documentation on Corvair handling. NHTSA went on to contract an independent advisory panel of engineers to review the tests. This review panel concludes that "Corvair 1960-63 is better than the contemporary vehicles used in testing [...] Corvair 1960-63's handling and stability performance does not generate abnormal potential for loss of control or rollover, and that's at least as good as the performance of some vehicles contemporary both foreign and domestic. "
Former GM executive John DeLorean asserted in his book On Clear Day You Can See General Motors that Nader's criticisms apply.
Journalist David E. Davis, in a 2009 article in Car Magazine, notes that despite Nader's claim that the rear aft rear suspension is dangerous, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen all use similar swing-axle concepts. during that era.
Investigate damaged ignition system
In May 2014, NHTSA fined the company $ 35 million for failing to recall the car with the wrong ignition switch for a decade, despite knowing there was a problem with the switch. General Motors pays compensation for 124 deaths associated with the wrong switch. The $ 35 million fine is mak
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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