Your Source For Finding Free Articles On All Your Favorite Topics. / en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:26:23 GMT /Article/GM_repays_297_6_million_to_Germany_for_Opel_loan_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5884 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:55:31 GMT General Motors Co. today repaid 200 million euros $297.6 million in German government aid that kept its carmaker Adam Opel GmbH afloat this year. GM also said it will repay another 400 million euros $595 million by Nov. 30. The payment comes more than a week after GM's board of directors voted to keep Opel instead of selling it to Canada's Magna International Inc. and its Russian partner, Sberbank. The 1.5 billion euro $2.2 billion bridge loan was intended to keep Opel operating until a deal was... 9c0e7052341fdeaeb2859a68ff5d0958 /Article/GM_speeds_repayment_of_loans_to_taxpayers_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5876 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:55:15 GMT GM Chairman Edward Whitacre Jr. said recently payback would be "sooner than you think." Last Updated: November 16. 2009 1:00AM GM speeds repayment of loans to taxpayers Carmaker to pay $1B per quarter, starting Dec. 31, as finances gain David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau -- General Motors Co. will announce today it will begin repaying its $6.7 billion in government loans ahead of schedule -- a sure sign that the Detroit automaker's finances are improving since its exit from bankruptcy in... 9464bfbe5226104782d94c0b81ae2685 /Article/GMC_Terrain_builds_on_Equinox_s_success_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5865 Sat, 7 Nov 2009 12:21:59 GMT You can choose your job, you can choose your name, but you can't choose your siblings. Laurie, Mark and Lisa -- the other members of Burgess Generation 5.0 -- remind me of this often. And I wouldn't have it any other way. General Motors Co., however, has had problems with family relationships in the past. Some of its cars and trucks shared a little too much in common, as if the gene pool was a half dozen chromosomes short of a double helix. Some called it cloning. Carmakers called it rebadging, and... f4fdde1bdf97c1c39b285b76d223ddd0 /Article/GM_hourly_workers_face_permanent_layoffs_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5864 Sat, 7 Nov 2009 12:21:58 GMT -- While General Motors Co. does not plan any deep job cuts, the automaker still has too many hourly workers and could permanently eliminate some of the 6,000 to 7,000 workers currently on layoff. Some of the workers are temporarily or indefinitely laid off and while GM is adding shifts at a few plants to boost output, some of the workers not called back could lose their jobs, CEO Fritz Henderson said Thursday at the Renaissance Center. "If it turns out after a period of time, that those people aren't... 913febe6ea65ba9b3d5261dc21a1c3c0 /Article/GM_s_European_CEO_resigns_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5857 Sat, 7 Nov 2009 12:21:52 GMT -- Carl-Peter Forster, chief executive of General Motors Co.'s European operations, will leave the company, the automaker said Friday. Forster's departure is not surprising, and the move is not expected to further disrupt Opel's operations, already strained by months of sales negotiations. Nick Reilly, executive vice president in charge of GM's international operations, will fill in for Forster on an interim basis, sources said. According to several published reports, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz will be... cfd84ad7167c9389e80c0e1266d25faa /Article/GM_considers_former_AT_amp_T_exec_for_top_financial_post_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5856 Sat, 7 Nov 2009 12:21:51 GMT General Motors Co. is considering a former vice chairman of AT&T among roughly seven candidates to replace Chief Financial Officer Ray Young, according to two sources familiar with the search. Charles Noski, a member of Microsoft Corp.'s board of directors, has the mix of financial acumen and executive experience that could also be essential if the GM board eventually replaces President and CEO Fritz Henderson, a source said. Noski was AT&T's senior executive vice president and chief financial officer... 1c1da1bfc63f663c9ee22e11cff8eb5f /Article/GMC_Terrain_builds_on_Equinox_s_success_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5849 Thu, 5 Nov 2009 10:37:25 GMT You can choose your job, you can choose your name, but you can't choose your siblings. Laurie, Mark and Lisa -- the other members of Burgess Generation 5.0 -- remind me of this often. And I wouldn't have it any other way. General Motors Co., however, has had problems with family relationships in the past. Some of its cars and trucks shared a little too much in common, as if the gene pool was a half dozen chromosomes short of a double helix. Some called it cloning. Carmakers called it rebadging, and... 448a04ad0fc7c2d4f4d5cb24ef822160 /Article/GM_will_cut_jobs_in_Opel_strategy_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5844 Thu, 5 Nov 2009 10:37:22 GMT -- General Motors Co. said Wednesday some 10,000 European jobs will be sacrificed at its money-losing Adam Opel GmbH unit, which the automaker decided this week to keep, rather than sell to Canada's Magna International Inc. and its Russian partner, Sberbank. The job loss, about 20 percent of the unit's 50,000 European workers, is comparable to the number that Magna would have cut as part of a 30 percent structural cost reduction at Opel. John Smith, GM's group vice president for corporate planning and... d55b3237edcc300cdfab9c5b877bc749 /Article/GMC_Terrain_builds_on_Equinox_s_success_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5833 Thu, 5 Nov 2009 10:37:06 GMT You can choose your job, you can choose your name, but you can't choose your siblings. Laurie, Mark and Lisa -- the other members of Burgess Generation 5.0 -- remind me of this often. And I wouldn't have it any other way. General Motors Co., however, has had problems with family relationships in the past. Some of its cars and trucks shared a little too much in common, as if the gene pool was a half dozen chromosomes short of a double helix. Some called it cloning. Carmakers called it rebadging, and... 114d6efd1031e6b27530446c22067003 /Article/Launch_of_GM_s_Cruze_delayed_3_months_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5831 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:56:25 GMT General Motors Co. said it has delayed the launch of its Chevrolet Cruze small car about three months until the third quarter of 2010 to ensure a flawless launch. The delay also will give GM time to produce all variations of Cruze models, the automaker said Wednesday. It was not related to any problems associated with earlier Cruze launches in Europe or China, GM spokesman Klaus-Peter Martin said. Industry analyst Erich Merkle of Autoconomy.com has not heard of any problems associated with the Cruze... 70aa4e0a497c43c9802c5d6dac5cf161 /Article/GM_extends_money_back_guarantee_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5827 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:56:23 GMT General Motors Co., trying to boost market share and vehicle sales after emerging from bankruptcy, has extended its money-back guarantee until Jan. 4 and will launch a second round of advertisements featuring hood-to-hood comparisons with competitors' vehicles. The comparison campaign, scheduled to start in December, is the second phase of a national advertising barrage initiated last month that offers buyers a 60-day, money-back guarantee. Under the campaign, GM has sold approximately 142,000 vehicles... 61c3ce16514d39139b6ba3daaaede397 /Article/GM_targets_Asia_China_with_headquarters_in_Shanghai_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5825 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:56:22 GMT One of the hallmarks of the new General Motors Co. is swift decision-making, and the decision where to base the international operations was made fast. "It didn't take us more than about a minute to decide where it should be," said Nick Reilly, GM executive vice president and new head of international operations. He and CEO Fritz Henderson agreed on Shanghai during a phone call. Reilly was already stationed there as director of GM's Asia Pacific operations. But the choice primarily reflects the U.S... 0b918095589a64871adb2519a27e2e82 /Article/GM_s_directors_to_review_Opel_sales_deal_in_November_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5807 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:46:43 GMT General Motors Co.'s board of directors will review the latest developments in the protracted talks for the sale of its Adam Opel GmbH subsidiary on Nov. 3, the company said Friday. GM also announced it had boosted its holding in GM Daewoo Automotive & Technology to 70.1 percent after being the sole subscriber to a share offer for the South Korean carmaker. Both units, GM Daewoo and Rüsselsheim, Germany-based Opel, face cash shortages because of the severe industry downturn that drove GM into bankruptcy... 599136bf3d432eca2c411c4e20d3c0b8 /Article/Consulting_firm_charges_GM_23M_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5804 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:46:42 GMT A consulting firm is charging General Motors' bankruptcy estate more than $23 million for three months' work leading up to and following one of the largest corporate bankruptcy filings in U.S. history. According to a quarterly report filed Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, crisis management firm AP Services LLC charged GM and its bankruptcy estate $23 million for about 90 days work and expenses that included airfare, hotels, meals, rental cars and other expenses. U.S. bankruptcy Court records give the... 3976c782e2875a8274e098a36075e799 /Article/Biden_to_discuss_future_of_former_GM_plant_in_Del_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5803 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:46:40 GMT WASHINGTON -- Vice President Joe Biden is expected to announce Tuesday that a California luxury automaker will build plug-in hybrid electric vehicles at a former General Motors plant in Delaware. The White House said Sunday that Biden, a former senator from Delaware, will make a major announcement about the future of the former GM plant in Wilmington, Del., along with Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and state officials. Fisker Automotive of Irvine, Calif., plans to revamp GM's Boxwood Road facility to build... 931922a72b0ccdc34295b8f51fe62175 /Article/Old_GM_billed_23M_in_bankruptcy_filing_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5802 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:46:39 GMT A consulting firm is charging General Motors' bankruptcy estate more than $23 million for three months' work leading up to and following one of the largest corporate bankruptcy filings in U.S. history. According to a quarterly report filed Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, crisis management firm AP Services LLC charged GM and its bankruptcy estate $23 million for about 90 days of work and expenses that included airfare, hotels, meals and rental cars. U.S. Bankruptcy Court records give the most detailed... cc05b06e16dbda8607bc98750c895509 /Article/GM_Works_on_Fix_Itself_Cars/5790 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:02:19 GMT GM has posted interesting information at the official company’s blog about the new vehicle they are planning to make. The GM research and development manager, Alan Taub, has made a statement that the cars they are making “won’t crash and eventually will drive themselves”. The new vehicle will be ready for the 2015. It is going to combine “lane-keeping and stop-and-go adaptive control”. The body of the car will be built of shape-changing material, Nitinol: it is a new alloy of nickel and... 3adbad6f6886c023705594615af9871b /Article/Bob_Kruse_Is_Leaving_GM/5788 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:02:18 GMT While Chevrolet was excited to have an unusually quick development of Volt and announced that the electric car will be ready several months earlier than they expected, the team did not notice that its leader decided to go different direction. Bob Kruse, General Motors executive director of global vehicle engineering for hybrids, electric vehicles and batteries, does not want to work for the big auto company and prefers to run his own business. Mr. Kruse has resigned and started E.V. Consulting LLC, his... 41230786a2601e95eb7da6cea1272da2 /Article/GM_says_top_execs_can_fly_business_class_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5743 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:54:39 GMT -- General Motors Co. today released its luxury expense policy, saying its senior executives will be allowed to fly business class on all flights. It also said its employees should try to lease GM vehicles "whenever feasible," when they're traveling for business. In its eight-page policy posted on a company Web site today, GM said any events costing more than $10,000 must be approved by a member of its senior leadership group. While other employees must book economy flights, except for intercontinental... e2b6ba555f9aa678b87c33f620345615 /Article/Obama_says_GM_survival_essential_to_U_S_economy_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5741 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:54:38 GMT -- President Barack Obama visited a General Motors Co. automobile assembly plant Tuesday hard hit by the industry downturn and hailed economic recovery efforts that will put more than 1,000 workers here back on the job next month. In his first visit to an automobile plant since the November election and since General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC emerged from bankruptcy court, Obama said "automakers are getting back in the game," and defended the government's $50 billion investment, and ownership... aa35a4442eb8be65ae2c9f4728153b6a /Article/Obama_hails_recovery_efforts_in_visit_to_GM_plant_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5740 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:54:36 GMT -- President Barack Obama visited a General Motors Co. automobile assembly plant Tuesday hard hit by the industry downturn and hailed economic recovery efforts that will put more than 1,000 workers here back on the job next month. In his first visit to an automobile plant since the November election and since General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC emerged from bankruptcy court, Obama said "automakers are getting back in the game," and defended the government's $50 billion investment, and ownership... 07adc7f1b063494bc8f39326b9d03076 /Article/GM_rescinds_27_000_pay_cuts_for_white_collar_workers_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5721 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:08:48 GMT General Motors Co. restored salaries for white-collar workers and some executives Friday in a bid to retain employees critical to the automaker's revival. GM, which emerged from bankruptcy after receiving $50 billion in federal aid, ended temporary pay cuts for about 27,000 U.S. workers and other employees in Canada and some foreign countries. Senior-level executive pay cuts, however, are not being restored -- for now. The news comes two days after GM said it would lay off 1,000 additional white-collar... bffd2cb22054bd43964994c9f64116b5 /Article/GM_to_lay_off_about_1_000_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5712 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:05:11 GMT General Motors Co. needs to lay off about 1,000 white-collar workers this month because only 1,900 accepted early retirement and buyout offers, the automaker said Wednesday. The 1,000 involuntary cuts are part of GM's plan to slash 6,000 salaried jobs by the end of the year and most will hit southeastern Michigan communities with GM operations such as Detroit, Warren, Milford and Pontiac. The area already is reeling from pending GM factory closures and blue-collar job cuts from earlier this year. GM... d474c8a5c9a847788a563b572809a9c2 /Article/GM_will_sell_Opel_to_group_led_by_Magna_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5710 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:05:09 GMT General Motors Co. plans to sell control of its German carmaker Adam Opel GmbH to a group led by Canada's Magna International Inc., the German government's preferred bidder. "The board concluded that this really is the best solution for the long-term viability of Opel," said GM Group Vice President John Smith, the U.S. automaker's chief negotiator. GM expects to finalize definitive agreements within the next few weeks and conclude the deal before December. The announcement marks the conclusion of a... 36b513c04cd10634f9c6e2dee4a88664 /Article/GM_sells_Opel_to_Magna_Sberbank_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5707 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:05:03 GMT General Motors Co. will enter into the latest of a series of alliances in key overseas markets after agreeing to sell control of its German carmaker Adam Opel GmbH. GM said it was planning to sell 55 percent of Opel to Canada's Magna International Inc. and Sberbank of Russia, the German government's preferred bidders. The U.S. automaker will retain 35 percent, forming a three-way partnership. "We're very experienced and very successful in collaborative business models," said John Smith, group vice... 5fc27d6eb78dbff8beb4d275bf347f64 /Article/Whether_Germans_like_it_or_not_GM_won_t_be_going_away_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5706 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:05:00 GMT The only question I have about General Motors Co.'s incipient spin-off of its Adam Opel GmbH unit in Germany is this: Are they popping corks on German or the old Russian equivalent, that sparkling wine from Georgia favored in Soviet times? For the better part of 80 years -- and, Lord knows, certainly for the past 15 -- so many of the Germans I knew who worked for Opel wanted nothing more than to slip the yoke of American oppression they so readily blamed for all that ailed their beloved , the yellow... fdf9fe4e68fad1502e3b025285d6ad37 /Article/GM_offers_60_day_cash_back_guarantee_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5705 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:04:55 GMT General Motors Co., trying to woo consumers after a trip through bankruptcy, will launch a new advertising campaign Monday touting a 60-day money-back guarantee featuring GM Chairman Ed Whitacre. The move is a bid to boost slumping sales and market share at a crucial time for the automaker, and for GM executives under government pressure to improve the company's fortunes. GM, which received $50 billion in federal aid, is pouring millions into the "May the Best Car Win" campaign. The promotion will urge... 71a9e681f8a1225605c66ee071139dc6 /Article/Germany_Politics_won_t_rule_GM_s_sale_of_Opel_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5681 Mon, 7 Sep 2009 18:08:10 GMT -- General Motors Corp. isn't under any major political influence to pick a buyer for its European car business, Adam Opel GmbH, German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck said Saturday. Steinbrueck said he told U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner once again that the German government favors a bid by Canadian car parts maker Magna International Inc. and Russia's state-owned Sberbank over Belgian investor RHJ International. The U.S. won't get involved in GM's decision, which could come at a board... b98d0eb9d0d3e6d63311e2abd1d2682f /Article/GM_Fleet_airbags_required_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5682 Mon, 7 Sep 2009 18:08:10 GMT -- General Motors Co. will not allow fleet purchasers to skip buying side airbags on 2010 models, the company said Friday. The automaker previously allowed fleet buyers to save $145 per vehicle by opting out of buying side airbags on tens of thousands of 2006-09 models that were typically billed as having "standard side airbags," a policy safety advocates questioned. Many of those used vehicles have ended up for sale and have been erroneously marketed as having standard air bags. GM has vowed to take... fc89a690d3d4889f79f33a72c5b2d05a /Article/Remaining_GM_dealers_face_tough_standards_sales_goals_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5663 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 06:03:56 GMT -- General Motors Co. dealers who survived the automaker's bankruptcy were told Friday they will have to average higher sales and spend more updating their facilities. Some will also have to get used to selling smaller, more fuel-efficient and better-equipped vehicles than during the industry's SUV-crazy heyday. GM executives met with 430 dealers from around the Midwest at the Rock Financial Showplace as part of a nine-city tour to discuss the future of the automaker's four core brands: Chevrolet... c98ffeb927881a47f24abf9de450f8a6 /Article/GM_Finally_Sells_Saab/5657 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 07:30:21 GMT Finally the deal about the Saab sale is becoming clearer. GM Europe has announced that the Swedish manufacturer will be sold to Koenigsegg Group AB. There have been several candidates and in June the things started clearing out, but there was still a little uncertainty about the bid from the Koenigsegg company. The president of GM Europe, Carl Peter Forster was happy to announce the news. He says, “We will continue to work with all parties to define the final details and ensure a fast closure of the... 9e5551f95d4971026f2bd85a81d0615c /Article/GM_seals_deal_to_sell_Saab_to_Koenigsegg_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5625 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:50:17 GMT -- General Motors Corp. on Tuesday said it has signed a final agreement to sell all shares in its unit Saab Automotive to Sweden's Koenigsegg Group AB, confirming the preliminary deal revealed in June. GM said the contract is subject to the conditions that Saab receives the necessary funding commitments from the European Investment Bank, guaranteed by the Swedish government, and transitional assistance from GM. "We will continue to work with all parties to define the final details and ensure a fast... 63a922eb6ebb28c5437a384c3ed5bb52 /Article/GM_Offers_Zero_Percent_Financing/5617 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:19:59 GMT Cash for Clunkers has great popularity and its funds are thinning out very quickly. President Obama was delighted to hear this news and signed a document which allows extending the program with additional $2 billion in funding. General Motors has found a good way to attract the customers with old vehicles to trade them in with GM fuel-efficient autos: the manufacturer offers zero-percent financing for up to 72 months if the purchased vehicle goes under the Cash for Clunkers program. The offer has a... 39fc25479b60681b49c23651e9654606 /Article/GM_s_culture_change_has_a_ways_to_go_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5612 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:19:57 GMT The new GM doesn't wear ties, doubtless a painful hit to the sales of Hermes and Ermenegildo Zegna. But if open collars are a harbinger of a sharper, faster and hipper culture, a prerequisite for success in the cutthroat auto industry, that's only what they are -- a harbinger. Watching CEO Fritz Henderson's frank admission this week that bankruptcy-slimmed General Motors Co. didn't fully appreciate the perception gulf between would-be customers and its competitive cars and trucks gives new meaning to... b79a4ca44106dbf24d1a08f2c4e6eb10 /Article/GM_Is_Building_a_Battery_Plant/5613 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:19:57 GMT The American automaker, General Motors, does not plan buying lithium-ion batteries for electric cars from other manufacturers, the company has announced that there will be a plant built by them specifically for this purpose. GM has announced that $43 million will be invested on a plant in Brownstown Township, Michigan which will build battery packs for Chevrolet Volt and “other extended-range electric vehicles”. This will be the first facility of this kind in the U.S. The work on the plant has... f14ad736b89157bf82232a6b38fd3f15 /Article/GM_to_revive_plant_with_battery_pack_production_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5609 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:19:55 GMT -- A former drag strip for muscle cars will become the home of General Motors Co.'s battery pack plant for electric vehicles -- fitting for a company reinventing itself. The whir of electric motors represents the future for GM and a more fuel-conscious auto industry in general. The $43 million plant on the former Detroit Dragway -- now an industrial park -- will package battery cells for the Chevrolet Volt and other electric vehicles that showcase GM's new direction. "This facility represents the... e54f6a388d99a2484b1be8ed92a5a906 /Article/New_GM_group_to_oversee_company_s_global_alliances_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5605 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:19:53 GMT General Motors Co. has formed a high-profile corporate planning and alliances group headed by Group Vice President John Smith as part of a series of organizational changes. Smith is now negotiating the sale of a majority stake in GM's German carmaker, Adam Opel GmbH, but GM plans to retain a substantial holding and keep Opel in its global product development network. "John has been our point person on our negotiations involving Opel, and the title is reflective of that work," said Tom Pyden, a GM... 324098bbbe6efa57ffa6b64fe8a25337 /Article/5_GM_board_members_named_4_execs_to_retire_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5546 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:35:56 GMT -- General Motors Co. continued to trim its senior management ranks with the retirement of four senior executives, but filled out its board of directors with the naming of five new members appointed by the U.S. Treasury Department and Canadian government. GM said Thursday that Gary Cowger, group vice president of global manufacturing and labor relations, will retire at the end of the year, as will Troy Clarke, group vice president and president of GM North America. GM CEO Fritz Henderson will assume... 1ea19e7760e2d158454521724458fd1a /Article/Management_shakeup_at_GM_continues_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5548 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:35:56 GMT -- General Motors Co. announced a management shakeup Thursday with the retirement of four senior executives, while the U.S. Treasury Department and Canadian government named the five final members of GM's new board of directors. GM said today that Gary Cowger, group vice president, global manufacturing and labor relations, will retire at the end of the year. Until Dec. 31, Cowger will assume responsibility for the integration of Delphi Corp.'s four factories and global steering business being acquired... a99da6c5582e8316b9ad513bd108ede6 /Article/Report_Toyota_to_end_venture_with_GM_in_Calif_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5549 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:35:56 GMT -- Toyota Motor Corp. has decided to liquidate its stake in a California manufacturing plant that it jointly operated with General Motors, a Japanese news agency reported Thursday. The Japanese carmaker will begin negotiating with the "Old GM" starting next week, Kyodo News reported, citing unnamed company officials. Toyota spokesman Mike Goss would not confirm that the Japanese automaker had made a final decision on the fate of Fremont, Calif.-based New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., also known as... 430593994770f4d56fc9562df4415ac5 /Article/Howes_Insiders_at_new_GM_same_as_they_ever_were_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5542 Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:35:53 GMT Outsiders? They don't need no stinkin' outsiders to run the post-bankruptcy General Motors Co. -- at least not on the management team detailed Thursday. The government-appointed board of directors is something else altogether, long as it is on outsiders from Wall Street, the telecom business and academia and short on anything approaching automotive experience. Welcome to one of the more salient untenables in the federal government's bailout-cum-bankruptcy of new GM: President Barack Obama's auto task... 0e1b093e0df216bf99d3018dad7421bb /Article/GM_CAW_reach_tentative_deal_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5507 Mon, 25 May 2009 05:23:16 GMT General Motors Corp. and the Canadian Auto Workers union have reached a tentative agreement in negotiations to reduce labor costs as mandated by the Canadian and Ontario governments as a condition of securing government loans. CAW President Ken Lewenza said the agreement between the United Auto Workers and GM a day earlier put pressure on the Canadian talks, as well as the need for GM to be able to put a comprehensive restructured business plan on President Barack Obama's desk within three days. A... 63f59a3ae7f64ea66e8bc4b7ee4ba5e6 /Article/GM_s_greener_HCCI_engine_shows_promise_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5492 Mon, 25 May 2009 05:23:12 GMT -- Don't knock it until you try it. A very simplified way to look at General Motors Corp.'s HCCI engine is to think of it as the old engine knocking. Remember turning off your car and listening to the engine still running in that clunk, clunk kind of way? Instead of using a sparkplug to ignite the fuel, the heat trapped in the cylinder and pressure created by the piston pushing up would ignite the remaining fuel. It was never a pleasant experience as it sputtered and coughed. For decades, GM has been... 6965215fc18d9a3ed1b70f8cd18f3b79 /Article/GM_bleeds_aid_talks_heat_up_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5382 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:55:36 GMT Pressure is mounting on General Motors Corp. to secure additional federal aid and money-saving concessions from the United Auto Workers and bondholders in light of the automaker's $30.9 billion loss last year. GM revealed its fourth straight annual loss -- the second-worst in the company's 100-year history -- on Thursday, hours before Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner met with President Barack Obama's auto team, which is overseeing the automaker's restructuring and repayment of $13.4 billion in federal... 38d5a37914706689ae02f5a2dea39db9 /Article/GM_s_Opel_directors_debate_future_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5381 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:55:35 GMT BERLIN -- The supervisory board of General Motors Corp.'s Opel unit was meeting Friday to hear suggestions from management on how the auto maker can weather the economic crisis and its parent's troubles. The supervisory board -- the equivalent of a U.S. board of directors -- met in Ruesselsheim, Germany, where Adam Opel GmbH has its headquarters and biggest plant. Opel chief executive Hans Demant said before the meeting that he could guarantee managers would present "intelligent suggestions" to the... 31d141ce31b58fc5306f2f05626db84d /Article/GM_gets_closer_on_deal_for_investors_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5365 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 06:22:50 GMT Negotiations between General Motors Corp. and its bondholders are progressing, with major investors signaling that they are now willing to accept less money than originally sought in exchange for forgiving billions in unsecured notes -- but only if the federal government guarantees the new debt. Bondholders had pushed for about 50 cents on the dollar. Now, sources familiar with the situation say they are prepared to accept 40 cents on the dollar, or even 30 cents. But government backing would have to be... 2baa774efe6de9a9b897c78e00e5229d /Article/GM_tweaks_Volt_engine_plan_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5370 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 06:22:50 GMT General Motors Corp. has scrapped plans to build a new plant to produce engines for its Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle and instead will build the engines in an existing Flint factory. The move will save money and use available floor space within the Flint South engine plant on Bristol Road, the automaker announced Tuesday. GM had said in September it would invest $370 million in a new 552,000-square-foot manufacturing plant that would produce four-cylinder engines for the Volt and the... 2f1dbb63497693e3f8a9345d30313808 /Article/U_S_German_working_group_to_seek_help_for_GM_s_Opel_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5344 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:09:05 GMT BERLIN -- Germany's new economic minister says he has arranged an informal working group with the U.S. treasury secretary aimed at finding a way to save General Motors Corp.'s German-based Opel unit. Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said in comments published in the Bild am Sonntag weekly Sunday that he had contacted Timothy Geithner in Washington about setting up a working group in hopes of finding a way to secure the future of Adam Opel GmbH. "I will use my first visit to the U.S.A. in March to hold further... ed405f8afe5db6f290638ee427e2c02f /Article/GM_to_seek_more_federal_aid_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5314 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:55:39 GMT DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. will ask for billions more in federal aid today when it submits a restructuring plan to the U.S. Treasury Department outlining cuts that will dramatically shrink the iconic but troubled American automaker. But GM's recovery plan and one from Chrysler LLC, due today as a condition of a $17.4 billion federal loan package, are not expected to include key money-saving concessions from the United Auto Workers and bondholders. Despite long negotiations over the weekend and... 698294136295b0e22804863fd6f195cc /Article/GM_announces_more_temporary_layoffs_detnews_com_The_Detroit_News/5305 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 18:02:48 GMT General Motors Corp. will temporarily layoff hourly workers at two powertrain plants in Ohio as the company adjusts production amid weak demand in the U.S. auto industry. About 100 hourly workers will be laid off for a week on Monday at the GM Powertrain plant in Defiance, about 54 miles southwest of Toledo. And on Feb. 23, about 1,200 hourly workers will be laid off during a one-week shutdown at the foundry, where workers make various components such as clutch housings, crank shafts and cylinder... e1fab50f1261f29a595be993f4e12f68