I really do believe we will achieve this.
Eventually.
Not in my lifetime. (Gen X)
Until then, my truck will outlast me.
Posted on 10/23/2025 5:45:01 AM PDT by Red Badger
The electric commercial van segment has little juice, so the BrightDrop is no more.
GM has decided to stop making the Chevrolet BrightDrop electric commercial van and will look for something new to build in the Canadian plant where it is assembled, says GM CEO Mary Barra. GM’s retail portfolio will otherwise remain unchanged, Barra told investors on a call to discuss third-quarter earnings. But the same is not true for the commercial side.
“The commercial electric van market has been developing much slower than expected, and changes to the regulatory framework and fleet incentives have made the business even more challenging,” says Barra. GM idled the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, in May due to slow sales of the BrightDrop van, with plans originally calling for the return of a single shift this month. Barra said this decision wasn't made lightly because of the impact on employees. The BrightDrop has been used by FedEx, DHL, Walmart, and other companies.
We Need to Make More of the Chevy Equinox
Ironically, the CAMI plant made the Chevrolet Equinox until 2022 when the plant was retooled to make the BrightDrop. The gas Equinox and Equinox EV are strong products for GM and Barra announced plans to double production of the compact SUV. GM announced in June its plans to add production of the gas-engine Equinox at its Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas City, Kansas, in 2027. With demand outstripping supply, Barra said GM will double gas Equinox production. The Fairfax plans are part of a larger $4 billion investment in U.S. plants over the next two years. That includes moving production of the non-EV Chevrolet Blazer from Mexico to a plant in Tennessee.
The decision to drop BrightDrop and the plant shuffling are actions to right-size EV production going forward, Barra said. While the commercial EV van business has been abandoned, she stressed GM is still committed to vehicles like the Equinox EV and Cadillac Escalade IQ. GM will also continue to invest in new battery chemistries like LMR, but with the cancellation of federal tax incentives, it's clear that near-term EV adoption will be slower than forecast and ICE vehicles will have greater staying power.
Expensive New EV Strategy
GM is adjusting capacity and took a sizable $1.6 billion hit in the third quarter to do so. The revised EV strategy recognizes demand will fall with the lack of incentives, but Barra thinks the market will shake out as competitors who were selling electric vehicles at discount for regulatory compliance will be weeded out, while strong products will still find buyers. What was an artificially driven environment based on tax breaks can become a more natural one based on demand.
EV losses will continue to come down. And tariff costs may not be as large as initially forecast. The impact is now expected to be $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion, down from as much as $5 billion. Barra said GM will continue to increase domestic sourcing and manufacturing, while monitoring the ever-changing tariff policy of the Trump administration.
GM achieved its highest third-quarter market share since 2017, Barra said. Adjusted earnings were down and net income fell to $1.3 billion because of the $1.6 billion in charges related to changing EV plans, but the company has raised its guidance for the year and now expects adjusted earnings or $12 billion to $13 billion, up from $10 billion to $12.5 billion. The actions to reduce complexity, warranty, and fixed costs, as well as the restructuring of the business in China, should position the company to perform even better in 2026, said chief financial officer Paul Jacobson.
Still have my 2006 Taurus. Runs great. It's all paid off many moons ago. It is the same model that Jack Bauer drove in several 24 seasons. I drive a little more conservatively than Jack.
And the boxy little Honda Element. With AWD it was the perfect urban mover.
They should bring back the Buick Regal, Century, Park Ave line of cars with the 3.8. Use the original blue prints and designs. No EPS. Then they would pick up some customers.
I CANNOT IMAGINE USING AN EV VAN FOR A BUSINESS THAT MAKES ALOT OF DELIVERIES ALL OVER THE LOCAL AREA:
FLOWERSHOP-—AUTO PARTS STORES, ETC.
I really do believe we will achieve this.
Eventually.
Not in my lifetime. (Gen X)
Until then, my truck will outlast me.
0bama, FJB, Govenor Trudohh, and Premier Doug Ford all possess the reverse midas touch
“Nepo baby” considering dad assembled car bodies and her No. 2 is the son of the man who created Buick’s 1980’s black beast that was named for NASCAR (”Grand National”) and is still revered over 40 years later that one was used at the Super Bowl Halftime last season.
If GM was smart, they’d put the Blazer back on the Colorado and save development cash. Colorado/Blazer the way Silverado/Tahoe/Suburban. A 4-door 231ci V6 next-gen small block truck based SUV would just sell because they know it can go places that the current jacked-up sedans cannot. Problem is you have dictators in San Francisco and Washington itching to raise taxes and punish.
As I’ve noticed, the cars in TCR (an international touring car class, IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge is the domestic championship) are not sold in the United States for the most part. If Ford and GM make TCR cars, the audience would just buy them for the younger generations.
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