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Report: Akerson looking for 20 percent more range from next-gen Chevy Volt [w/video]

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Videos, Chevrolet

Dan Akerson wants to see 20 percent improvement in electric-drive range.

The Chevrolet Volt’s 38-mile electric range leaves something to be desired, despite being able to run nonstop for hundreds more miles when the range-extending gasoline generator kicks in. General Motors CEO Dan Akerson has recognized this and let slip that he wants to see the next-generation Volt get a significant electric-range increase, Bloomberg reports in a recorded interview with Akerson. The CEO says significant to him means 20 percent – “50 to 60 miles, or more,” he adds – and remarks that the range improvement could be a reality in three or four years. It’s a much bigger deal than the mid-cycle increase that the 2013 Volt got: three electric miles thanks to a half-kWH battery capacity increase.

In a less explicit statement about the next-gen Volt’s electric range, but still in context of the expected 20 percent increase, Akerson also tells Bloomberg that he hopes to see breakthroughs in battery technology that could further reduce cost and increase performance over the next couple of years. Already, the Volt’s 16.5-kilowatt-hour battery’s initial $800 per kWh price has dropped significantly due to volume and improvements in battery technology, according to Akerson. That’s without mentioning the current cost to produce a battery, of course.

Last spring Akerson said that GM hopes to trim $10,000 from the Volt’s price, currently at $39,145, through cost reductions. The goal is halfway met with the recent announcement of a $5,000 price drop for the 2014 Volt, which Akerson confirms in the interview was possible through “some cost savings by virtue of the evolution of the [battery] technology.” Feel free to ~~watch~~ listen to the video below for more details.

Continue reading Akerson looking for 20 percent more range from next-gen Chevy Volt [w/video]

Akerson looking for 20 percent more range from next-gen Chevy Volt [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Akerson says Cadillac will get a larger sedan within two years

Filed under: Sedan, Cadillac, Luxury

It seems that during a recent affair showing off the 2014 Cadillac CTS, General Motors CEO Dan Akerson confirmed reports regarding a new Cadillac flagship sedan. According to USA Today, which Akerson was visiting, he said that a sedan larger than the XTS would debut within the next two years.

This matches up with what we heard earlier in the month about a Cadillac model that will go up against the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class (not a pricier, low-volume sedan also discussed in that article). But this is the first time a high-profile executive name has been attributed to such a report, and the first time a broad timeframe has been mentioned. This article adds that the unnamed car will be rear-, and all-wheel drive with a platform “loosely based” on the new CTS, with styling closer to that car than recent Cadillac concept vehicles. The XTS will continue production of course, as well.

Akerson says Cadillac will get a larger sedan within two years originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jul 2013 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Akerson calls for GM tech to stymie Tesla

Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, GM, Tesla, Electric

Electric vehicle maker Tesla has had some good days lately as sales of the Model S have exceeded expectations as much as the company’s profits, thanks in no small part to innovative thinking that has resulted in mass sales of ZEV credits to other manufacturers, free charging stations, 90-second battery swaps and manufacturer-owned dealerships. All of this has the attention of General Motors, who views Tesla as a disruptive force to the auto industry and as a threat to the 104-year-old automaker.

Case in point: GM recognizes that Tesla must be doing something right if it can sell more of its $69,900 Model S sedans than the $39,145 Volt. So what is GM doing about it? Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson assigned a small team to study Tesla so the company won’t be caught off guard in the future. In an interview with Bloomberg, Steve Girsky, GM vice chairman, said, “History is littered with big companies that ignored innovation that was coming their way because you didn’t know where you could be disrupted.”

GM was one of those big companies at one point, and it hasn’t quite broken that mold. It has struggled to move on from the old, inefficient practices of its past, leading Akerson to chide employees at a recent conference in Houston because so many in-house patents had failed to be commercialized and implemented in GM designs. This, of course, resulted in a huge research-and-development budget that was wasteful. But Akerson knows that GM must rely on innovation and a tight focus on technologies that customers want if it is to be profitable and survive in the long term.

Ultimately, it seems GM is looking at Tesla to help establish a healthy culture of innovation, as the company is stinging from the success of the Model S. But at least it’s looking at a glass that’s half full.

Akerson calls for GM tech to stymie Tesla originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: GM CEO Akerson wishes Opel Cascada, Adam were sold in Buick showrooms [w/poll]

Filed under: Convertible, Etc., Hatchback, Buick, Opel

2013 Opel Cascada - dynamic top-down motoring shot

2013 Opel Adam - front three-quarter view, maroon According to Automotive News, General Motors CEO Dan Akerson has his eye on a couple of overseas models for Buick. The General’s funky Opel Adam subcompact and Cascada four-place convertible are apparently on the executive’s wish list, as he openly expressed regret that they weren’t developed for the US during an investor conference earlier this month.

The distribution plans for both models were decided ahead of GM’s 2009 bankruptcy (prior to Akerson’s tenure), and they were apparently not designed with North America in mind. Whether Akerson and Co. are still looking to pursue versions for our market with the TriShield brand isn’t clear, in part because it isn’t known what modifications would need to be executed to make them suitable for sale. Automotive News cites GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky as having previously stated that the “expensive” Cascada “would have to be amalgamated for the US, which adds cost and complexity,” but it also quotes GM North America boss Mark Reuss as saying that Buick “is ready for ‘something special,’ citing a convertible, a coupe or a flagship sedan as possibilities.”

By our reckoning, the rakish Cascada droptop would seem to be the most natural fit for the Buick brand, as the idea of a comfortable four-place convertible doesn’t seem as boundary-stretching as a Fiat 500-sized supermini. Then again, the new Encore crossover is tiny and seems to be receiving a warm welcome from buyers in its first months on sale, and GM is looking to redefine Buick and court younger buyers. Stylistically, though, the Cascada would probably be the easier conversion to Buick branding, and the biggest factor in its favor would seem to be that it rides atop GM’s Delta II architecture, as does the Verano sedan, a North American model. At present, GM only has one four-seat convertible in its entire US lineup, the Chevrolet Camaro, and today’s Buick/GMC sales channel does not offer any droptops at all.

View Poll

GM CEO Akerson wishes Opel Cascada, Adam were sold in Buick showrooms [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Jun 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: GM CEO Dan Akerson earned $2.5 million in 2010

Filed under: GM, Earnings/Financials

Despite only holding the reins of General Motors for the last four months of 2010, company CEO Dan Akerson received $2.5 million in compensation last year. Akerson took over the post from Ed Whitacre on Sept. 1, after Whitacre stepped down. According to The Detroit News, Akerson was paid $566,667 in salary from GM and a further $1.76 million in stock awards. Not bad for four months’ work.

Akerson’s earnings are subject to review by the federal government, since they still own a 32 percent share of the company. For 2011, Akerson won’t get a raise, which means he’ll earn $9 million this year, the same amount Ed Whitacre would have been paid had he made it an entire year.

Akerson was at the helm for GM’s IPO in November, and helped the company close out 2010 posting its biggest profit in ten years.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Report: GM CEO Dan Akerson earned $2.5 million in 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 Apr 2011 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Akerson’s leadership, pricing strategies at GM drawing more fire

Filed under: Car Buying, GM

General Motors CEO dan akerson

We know he’s not a “car guy” but some think General Motors CEO Dan Akerson might not be a guy fit for a car company period. Akerson comes from the telecommunications world, and it seems some analysts believe it’s that background that’s driving him to cut costs and drive sales by means of heavy incentives and rebates.

GM has seen strong sales to start 2011, but other automakers are quick to point out these gains come courtesy of instant gratification tactics. By initially devaluing its product, GM also diminishes its future resale value. Additionally, customers shopping for a General Motors product will expect an incentive or rebate when they show up at their local dealership.

We haven’t seen March sales figures yet, but as it was the month GM ended its current run of incentives and rebates, it will be interesting to see if sales take a dip as a result. Early estimates say that’s the case, but we’ll have to wait for the monthly By the Numbers to be sure.

[Source: MSNBC]

Report: Akerson’s leadership, pricing strategies at GM drawing more fire originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: GM CEO Akerson says Chevy Volt tech coming to minivan

Filed under: Hybrid, Minivan/Van, Chevrolet, GM, Electric

2011 Chevrolet Volt charging port – Click above for high-res image gallery

The more vehicles General Motors is able to build using the battery technology pioneered in its 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the better chance the automaker has of earning a return on its significant investment into the electrically driven automobile. It’s the classic economies of scale issue… but what is the next logical vehicle application?

While many of the early prognostications pointed to a Voltec-powered Cadillac, a report from AutoWeek says GM CEO Dan Akerson is suggesting a minivan may come first. There’s also some talk that an unknown hatchback is in the works (yes, the Volt is indeed a hatchback that’s shaped to look more like a sedan, but whatever).

Also notable are Akerson’s expectations that at least 10-percent of all GM production will be hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric vehicles within 10 to 15 years. Akerson wants each of the automaker’s four core divisions – Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet (check) and GMC – to have a vehicle using Volt technology, though no timeframe for that expansion has been given.

In other Volt news, Akerson told reporters at the 2011 Automotive News World Congress that the General is on track to sell 25,000 Chevrolet Volts for the 2011 model year, which is a sizeable increase from the 10,000-20,000 units expected as production began.

Moving past the ever-present greenery, Akerson and GM North American President Mark Reuss both stated that the company is putting some of its next-generation truck programs on the fast-track. We’d imagine that means we’ll see new fullsize pickups from Chevy and GMC sooner rather than later.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Volt: First Drive

2011 Chevrolet Volt

Photos copyright (C)2011 Chris Paukert / AOL
[Source: AutoWeek]

Report: GM CEO Akerson says Chevy Volt tech coming to minivan originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: GM’s Akerson says taxpayer payback will take years

Filed under: Government/Legal, GM

Dan Akerson, General Motors CEO

New General Motors CEO Dan Akerson’s first bit of big news isn’t exactly good news: paying back the taxpayer for loans during GM’s dark days is going to take years. How many years remains uncertain, with Akerson saying the company’s performance will be the test, since repaying the government in a lump sum would be “unrealistic.” It helps that this news isn’t exactly unexpected, and if we can take anything from Akerson’s 15 days on the job, well, at least he’s honest.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Report: GM’s Akerson says taxpayer payback will take years originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New GM CEO Akerson to earn salary of $1.7 million

Filed under: GM, Earnings/Financials

Dan Akerson, GM CEO Dan Akerson, the man who just recently replaced Ed Whitacre as General Motors’ CEO, will be paid an annual salary of a cool $1.7 million. That’s an awfully pretty penny, but Akerson indeed has his work cut out for him – The General is finally on its way to public ownership, with a stock IPO in the works for later this year.

In addition to his $1.7 million, Akerson will also receive $5.3 million worth of GM stock, delivered over the course of three years beginning on September 30, 2011. Furthermore, he will receive an additional $2 million in stock under GM’s long-term incentive plan.

This may seem like quite a bit, but things are a lot richer (literally) just down the road in Dearborn. Ford’s CEO, Alan Mulally, makes substantially more – he netted $17.9 million in cash and bonuses in 2009 – though this is largely due to the fact that the government bailouts have limited the CEO salary amounts for both GM and Chrysler.

[Source: Edmunds Auto Observer | Image: John F. Martin/AFP/Getty]

New GM CEO Akerson to earn salary of $1.7 million originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dan Akerson: New GM CEO a car guy after all?

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, GM

The announcement today that General Motors will soon be welcoming its fourth CEO in just 14 months was startling news, but the real unanswered question is just who is Dan Akerson? We’ve already told you what his business chops are and it’s clear the man can run a lemonade stand, but there’s virtually no other information available out there besides his resume. And as for pics, the entirety of the internet has but one to offer, which is Akerson’s glamor shot as a member of GM’s board of directors. Flattering? No. Looks like a high school principal’s year book picture.

Well, we dug a little and found some interesting info on one Mr. Daniel F. Akerson. For one, he lives in McLean, Virginia and is reportedly an avid golfer. Ok, not too surprising, as most corporate executives can swing a club. How about this: He’s said to be worth an estimated $190 million. Yeah, CEOing is a good gig if you can get it. Also, he currently drives a Cadillac CTS.

Finally, we’re told that Mr. Akerson’s first car was an MGB roadster, which he quickly traded in for a 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass. Now, we don’t have confirmation on which Cutlass he had, and it makes a difference. The 1970 Cutlass was nothing special, unless you’re talking about the 442, which was a legitimate muscle car. The fact that Akerson first had an MGB makes us hopeful that he is a car guy after all and that the Olds in question was the 442… or at least was powered by a Rocket V8 of some sort.

Does the CEO of General Motors need to be a car guy? Not really. Ford CEO Alan Mullaly has never been considered a “car guy,” which didn’t stop him from righting Dearborn’s sinking ship. Still, enthusiasts might take comfort in the fact that the man running one of this industry’s most important companies knows his way around a four-barrel carb.

And Dan, a little advice: Trade up to a CTS-V Coupe. What’s $190 million good for if you’re not going to use it?

[Source: GM, DavidSheperson via Twitter]

Dan Akerson: New GM CEO a car guy after all? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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