As a stockholder, I hope they make the turn.
GM has always offered some fuel efficient vehicles (at least for the last 2 decades) but they've never been their most popular ... or most profitable.
A year or two ago, Thomas L. Friedman wrote a column comparing Toyoat and GM ... where Toyota was the perfect company in the white hat being a wonderful global neighbor and GM was something akin to a James Bond villain.
Truth is, it's their history (and customers) that really make the difference between the companies. Toyota started out making small cars out of necessity and for years lacked the ability (and 'street cred') to make beefy, manly, full-size trucks and luxury cars. It took them decades but now they are doing that as well (and raking in the profits).
GM for years made large cars because fuel for them was relatively inexpensive and their customers
wanted large cars. 'The General' had trouble making small cars (and to be honest, during the 70s and 80s, their heart just wasn't in it). But for the last couple decades, they've offered small, fuel-efficient cars ... it's just that many people who've wanted these cars have long since turned to Honda, Toyota, Subaru, etc ... and are not coming back anytime soon.
I hope, for the sake of the country as well as my portfolio, they are able to turn things around.
All types of batteries can be recycled ... but so few people bother with this. I collect all kinds of batteries and turn them in to New York Office of General Services ... but even they have pulled down their call for dry-cell batteries.
So, after I hoard them for months, put them in a clean, clear plastic jar, they may just throw them away. It's the American way.
