Dan Akerson

Hold Off on Buying That Chevy Volt; Price to Drop $10,000 in Face of Dismal Sales

Submitted by Mark Modica on Thu, 05/09/2013 - 09:31

Volt and AkersonGreat news for consumers who are considering buying General Motors' green wonder car, the Chevy Volt. I know how excited those environmentally conscientious Volt enthusiasts can get, but a little patience can pay off big time if potential buyers hold off for a year or so on their purchase. According to GM CEO Dan Akerson and following another dismal month of Volt sales (1,306 in April), the car that defies logic will soon be available for up to $10,000 less money. The good news extends to shareholders of GM as the next generation of the Volt will supposedly be profitable for the company. So, as we say prepare to say goodbye to the current generation of the obsolescent Volt, let's take a trip down memory lane to review how past promises for the car panned out.

GM Buyback of Treasury Shares – Why Now?

Submitted by Mark Modica on Mon, 12/24/2012 - 10:08

General Motors moved quickly to complete its buyback of 200 million shares from the US Treasury Department before year end. It is a welcome sign that the Obama Administration is finally beginning to exit taxpayers' GM stake, a move that could have been made a year and a half ago when share price was closer to $30. While some felt it was never the place of Government to gamble taxpayer money on Wall Street by market timing the exit of Treasury's GM stake, others argued that taxpayers would be better served by waiting until GM share price rose to at least over the $33 IPO price of two years ago.

Fact Checking Romney and GM on Job Creation Claims

Submitted by Mark Modica on Thu, 11/01/2012 - 11:20

General Motors is criticizing Mitt Romney for running an ad that says GM cut 15,000 jobs under the Obama Administration. The Detroit Free Press reported that GM spokesman Greg Martin (speaking about the Romney ad) stated, "No amount of campaign politics at its cynical worst will diminish our record of creating jobs in the U.S. and repatriating profits back to this country."

Leaving aside for a moment the bigger issue of a taxpayer-supported entity improperly inserting itself in an election, lets examine the facts. A look at GM's annual SEC filings gives a clear picture of how many people were employed by the company both before and after the Obama Administration guided the company through a bankruptcy process.

AUTO BAILOUT BOMBSHELL: Fiat Says Chrysler, Jeep Production May Move to Italy

Submitted by Mark Modica on Mon, 10/29/2012 - 10:25

Obama Marchionne photoComing hot on the heels of speculation that some Jeep production may be moved to China comes a bombshell from a Bloomberg report. Fiat is now considering moving Chrysler and Jeep production to Italy.

According to the piece, "To counter the severe slump in European sales, (Fiat CEO Sergio) Marchionne is considering building Chrysler models in Italy, including Jeeps, for export to North America. The Italian government is evaluating tax rebates on export goods to help Fiat. Marchionne may announce details of his plan as soon as Oct. 30, the people said."

General Motors Makes Obama an Offer He Can’t Accept

Submitted by Mark Modica on Tue, 09/18/2012 - 17:01

Here we go again. Déjà vu all over again as General Motors spreads rumors that they are tired of being Government Motors and they are so cash rich that they offered to buy Treasury's taxpayer-funded stake in the company. In typical deceptive GM fashion, sources were not named and spokesman Jim Cain refused to confirm the rumors. This is not the first time GM played the rumor game, as I previously wrote about over a year ago.

GM (Again) Halts Chevy Volt Production

Submitted by Mark Modica on Tue, 08/28/2012 - 07:36

USA Today reports that General Motors will be, once again, temporarily halting production of the Chevy Volt. According to GM, the halt is not due to low sales of the Volt. The article quotes a Chevy spokesman as saying, "We are not idling the plant due to poor Volt sales. We're gearing up for production of the new Impala."

Why Can't Akerson Come Clean on Chevy Volt Fiasco?

Submitted by Mark Modica on Thu, 08/23/2012 - 08:57

Akerson and Volt photoSome truths are so obvious that they cannot be denied. But that doesn't stop General Motors and politically-motivated cheerleaders for the Chevy Volt from trying. In the case of the Volt, the truth is that this car has been a dismal failure when considering the amount of hype and taxpayer money that has been spent to produce the supposed green wonder-car. Let's review just how wrong GM CEO, Dan Akerson, has been regarding sales projections for the Volt and how he refuses to take accountability for GM's blunders. 

GM CEO Akerson Responds to Criticism

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Tue, 08/21/2012 - 16:20

Akerson photoGeneral Motors CEO & Chairman Dan Akerson has an op-ed in yesterday's Detroit Free Press in response to the growing chorus of criticism of the company in general, and his leadership in particular.  It is rather typical corporate PR, complete with a Teddy Roosevelt quote.

One line is odd, though. Akerson (or his flak) writes:

I believe our culture is our "secret weapon" and is on the way to being a true difference maker for us.

So, how is GM's culture,  according to Akerson?

Non-Union Retirees Join “Hosed by GM Club”

Submitted by Mark Modica on Mon, 06/18/2012 - 07:56

The president of the GM Retirees Association, Jim Shepherd, sent a scathing letter last week to GM CEO, Dan Akerson. The letter was in response to General Motors' decision to modify pension plans for non-union retirees. Mr. Shepherd stated that the non-union retirees wanted to express their "absolute consternation and disgust" and described the move by GM as not being only unfair but, "it is sheer irresponsibility and greed."

Why Some Americans Will Never Buy a GM Vehicle

Submitted by Mark Modica on Thu, 06/14/2012 - 09:25

I recently wrote about a boycott of General Motors' products that was contributing to the company losing market share. The Heritage Foundation now has come out with a report that analyzes the wealth redistribution which occurred during the Obama Administration orchestrated GM bankruptcy process. This redistribution saw money taken from US taxpayers and GM bondholders and given to the politically powerful UAW. The unethical behavior at Government Motors, which has been occurring both during and since the bankruptcy process, gives reason enough to those paying attention to eliminate GM vehicles from the many quality choices offered to new car shoppers.

Syndicate content