Posted on 03/07/2022 9:24:50 AM PST by Red Badger
2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV Trail Boss
General Motors has been touting its future EV efforts for years, and more recently, CEO Mary Barra has talked about the automaker's plans to overtake Tesla as the US EV leader. While GM doesn't have a whole lot to show related to those plans quite yet, it has announced major efforts that are already underway, which will boost its EV output significantly in the coming years.
That said, it doesn't matter how many EVs GM – or any company for that matter – can produce unless it can actually sell them. In order for the automaker to sell plenty of electric cars, it will have to make sure its dealers are on board, or switch to some form of online sales or direct sales model. It seems Chevy dealers are ready to roll. According to Automotive News, dealer chairman of the Chevrolet National Dealer Council Keith McCluskey shared:
"We want to beat Tesla on EVs. We want to meet demand."
McCluskey is also encouraging GM to stick to its plans, producing enough electric vehicles for dealers to sell and meet that demand. Dealers can't be successful in selling EVs, and GM can't beat Tesla if it doesn't manufacture enough electric cars. The dealer chairman said:
"It's nice to have the backing of General Motors and knowing that they're making those types of investments to create that kind of volume. There's a lot of us dealers out there. And if we're going to maximize our success, we need them to build enough product that we can be No. 1. You can't be No. 1 if you don't produce enough."
As many folks in the EV community have pointed out, the whole "beat" concept really doesn't matter at this point. It's not about "beating" one another, but just about companies actually producing EVs to the best of their abilities. We can talk about competing with and beating one another once new models come to market, EV production is up to speed, and people are taking delivery in large numbers.
GM is banking on the long list of pre-orders for its upcoming electric vehicles, such as the Silverado EV. GM says over 100,000 people have already placed a reservation for the upcoming electric pickup truck that's expected to go on sale as a 2024 model sometime in 2023.
Chevrolet is also seeing plenty of interest in its future Blazer and Equinox electric crossovers. The automaker is also putting an emphasis on producing affordable EVs that will be accessible to all consumers, not just the wealthy.
GM's current goal is to offer 30 new electric vehicles across the globe by 2025. The company says it will produce as many as 600,000 electric trucks per year at two locations in Michigan. In addition, it's working on transitioning its Orion Assembly plant into a battery factory.
McCluskey went on to say that he believes the sale of 600,000 electric pickup trucks per year is realistic. He also added that the addition of more affordable, high-volume electric SUVs, such as the Chevy Equinox EV, will be integral to GM's plans to succeed in the segment.
I think we’ll be seeing battery tech that will go 500 miles and charge in 20 minutes. That to me would be a sweet spot.
Tesla has been promising low(er) cost vehicles for about a decade now, and has not delivered on that promise.
And, depending on China to help them produce anything, vehicles and batteries, is pretty foolish, given the international relations that are very confrontational lately, and won’t be getting any better in, perhaps forever.
GM has promised that they will be all-electric by 2030-2035. If they can accomplish that goal, they’ll be the biggest EV maker on the planet. GM lost me as a customer with that promise, since I won’t be getting any EV from them or anybody, and if they do stop producing ICE vehicles, why would anybody buy anything from them now?
Model 3 says, “Hello”.
Why do you think Tesla is selling so many car (nearly a million EVs sold last year)?
And, depending on China to help them produce anything, vehicles and batteries, is pretty foolish, given the international relations that are very confrontational lately, and won't be getting any better in, perhaps forever.
Where do you think all the high numbers of Teslas sold in Europe come from?
Shanghai China.
Tesla is #1 EV seller in Europe just from importing Teslas from the Tesla Gigafactory in Shanghai.
And that is even before the huge new Tesla Gigafactory in Berlin starts producing.
ZERO probability of that happening
I’ll take a Chevy short box PU like the old models in standard cab with a V8 350 with 4 bbl carb with a standard transmission with overdrive and positration.
Eff the elctrics. There is no place to charge that junk.
The entry level model 3 starts at around $45,000. Not exactly an everyday consumer vehicle. And then, if you want any options included, it will likely end up costing upwards of $55,000. I know, I’ve checked.
So, the Model 3 may say ‘hello’, but the consumer will say ‘bye’.
And, it’s still a vehicle with not much better than a 300 mile range, and ‘refueling’ times of a few hours. Still not an everyday consumer vehicle.
And, the European market is not the same as the U.S. market, where people haven’t had to pay the much higher prices of fuel that the Europeans have paid for a long time now.
And, China is still the country that is public enemy #1 for all kinds of imports, and getting a lot worse by the minute. Once people insist that the government push for all manufacturing to occur in the U.S., ‘bye-bye China’ and ‘bye-bye Teslas from China’.
China is NOT our friend, and anybody or any company that depends heavily in China as the producing company for any product, will end up losing mightily.
And, from what I’ve read, the battery gigafactory production is more fantasy than a reality, especially since the battery technology hasn’t really progressed much in the last 10 years, no matter how much hype one reads or hears in the media. In fact, I’ve read that even Tesla is rethinking the battery technology and the gigafactory idea.
And just how is this US government going to make GM #1 in the huge EV car markets in Europe and in China where Tesla is #1 right now?
Or even in America where Tesla has over 70% EV market share last year and Tesla/Musk have fanatical fans and Dementia Joe is hated by a big percentage of the population.
Well model 3 is much cheaper than Model S and the release model 3 sent Tesla car sales skyrocketing to close to a million cars sold last year, with a long waiting list.
With Giga Berlin and Giga Texas starting production this year, expect Tesla's fast growth to continue.
Um...the consumer is saying “Hello” to Model 3 in a very big way.
Model 3 is by far the top selling EV model on the planet.
Except almost all Teslas sold in America are made in California and from next month in Texas.
China is NOT our friend, and anybody or any company that depends heavily in China as the producing company for any product, will end up losing mightily
You mean like Apple?
Fact: Tesla manufacturers in America more than Apple ever has.
You talk like a child.
And, from what I've read, the battery gigafactory production is more fantasy than a reality,
You are living in an alternate reality fantasyland.
Tesla has been making batteries in Freemont Giga and at Giga Nevada for a long time. Soon to start in Guda Texas.
And 4680 production has already started in Freemont.
You need to read up. You don't really know what you are talking about do you?
And the avalanche is already stupid enough, just like Honda’s Ridgeline. Not a real pickup, it’s a half-suburban without any covered cargo space.
It’s basically the ultimate frat boy ‘pickup’. And I’m sure the EV version is no better.
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