GM Following the Consumer
05:57 | 
As goes the consumer, so goes General Motors. That really was the message I got after speaking with GM’s Clay Okabayashi during the Alternative Car & Transportation Expo. The bottom line is that it’s the consumer driving the decision making at the largest automobile manufacturer when it comes to vehicles powered by alternative fuels. So the ball is really in the consumer’s court — keep the pressure on, and the company will respond with more technologies like E85, flex-fuel and hybrid vehicles like the Saturn Aura with its BAS system, and the Vue Green Line plug-in hybrid.
Tags: General Motors, Clay Okabayashi, Alternative Car & Transportation Expo, E85, flex-fuel, hybrid vehicles, Saturn Aura, BAS, Vue Green Line, plug-in
6 Responses to “GM Following the Consumer”
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Copyright ©2008 PodTech.net. All rights reserved. Modified: Tue, 22 May 2012 16:07:34 -0700
January 8th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
It is a shame that there is a clear disconnect between the STRATEGY of “following the consumer” and the EXECUTION of that strategy at the dealer level.
I trust that “following the consumer” is more than just an empty slogan.
January 10th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
I think it’s more than just an empty slogan. I just came back from the Detroit Auto Show where I was the guest of GM and it was interesting to see how serious they were about entering the alternative fuel landscape, not just with their Green Line but also with the debut of their Chevy Volt, a concept car that has various propulsion platforms. Did they have to do this? I
don’t think so…more accurately, it was the consumer pursuing this alternative fuel desire that made GM sit up and take notice. There is no way this company wants to lose to Toyota and is trying to change the impression many have of the world’s largest automaker. They also seem to have a much keener focus on design, from the new Camaro to debut in 2009 to the Volt to the Cadillac CTS and Chevy Malibu. Time will tell of course if consumers look to the manufacturer with different eyes…but I can tell you I came away with a better appreciation for them and for the people that make up the company. Now granted I was given unprecedented access to the VIPs, high level executives and product spokespeople, but I came away impressed with their passion to win and the human qualities that many feel the company lacks. Dealers may be a different story…I had no interaction with that l evel of company personnel.
January 17th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
So Matt, are you going to buy one?
You see, strategy is great and rhetoric can sell cars, but most of us engage with car brands at the level of the dealer. That experience is the one that counts — and how the dealers “live the brand” very much affects how we do.
January 18th, 2007 at 9:04 am
You bring up a good point Gavin. Many people have a disconnect thinking their local dealership is the manufacturer when in fact it is not. Your local Bob Smith delaer pays for the franchise in a certain area by guaranteeing the manufacturer he will buy a certain number of vehicles per year at wholesale from the maker, and then sells them at his best retail price to the public, leaving enough profit for him to pay his salary and benefits to employees, rent, utilities and parts for any service, and then honors the warranty of the vehicle. Sadly, we all know there are delaerships that are less reputable than others when it comes to customer service and “service after the sale.” The manufacturer has nothing to do with this part of the equation. They are just interested in buliding a quality car at as low a price as possible to meet shareholder demands for profits per share per quarter. Once sold to the dealership, they’ve left the transaction and they leave it up to these independent dealerships to sell to the consumer and give customer satisfaction. But most people think the Bob Smith dealership IS the manufacturer, and that’s where there disconnect and dissatisfaction comes, from the POS or point of sale. In my coverage, I report on the manufacturere and not the dealership. But there is a NADA convention coming up and perhaps that is an event that should receive scrutiny to address some of the concerns we’re talking about….
April 24th, 2007 at 9:42 am
I have just bought a 2007 3/4 ton Selvardo pickup with the 6.0 motor and I am very disappointed in the fuel milage. I am getting 8 miles to the gallon when towing my boat and only 10 with regular driving. This is the fuel milage that we got back in the old days. When I ask the dealer about this, I was told that there was nothing they could do about it. I can tell you right now, that this is the last GM I will ever buy and that I will let everyone know what happen to me. So the B-S that you are printing about GM great fuel landscape is for the birds!!!!
April 26th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
WOW! Dude, 8-10 miles per galloon???? At that rate this truck may bankrupt you! (Do I hear trade-in???)