Not a good sign and 'Who killed the electric car 2?'

[botsapper]

...and what happened to Saab, Hummer, Saturn, Pontiac, Daewoo, Oldsmobile, etc? And Elon Musk IS Tesla.

Analyst predicts GM will buy Tesla in 2014 - Autoblog

[NeilBlanchard]

I don't think Elon Musk will sell it if there is a chance that it gets killed. He's too smart for that.

[gone-ot]

GM's EV business plan: "If you can't BEAT them, BUY them, then CLOSE them..." and, instantly the competition is gone!

[Giovanni LiCalsi]

GM desperately needs Tesla's battery design but Musk does not need to sell his company, now that it is outselling all other luxury car manufacturers.
Battery technology is getting very advanced and will produce a lithium battery that will be at least four times the power density in a few years.
The note book battery demand has made this possible
Also Tesla batteries are $200.00@kwh and will be $120.00@kwh very soon.
The tipping point in EV technology will be in 2016. The miles per charge will be as much as an ICE car by then. ICE cars will become like steam engine cars of the past, obsolete.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by botsapper

...and what happened to Saab, Hummer, Saturn, Pontiac, Daewoo, Oldsmobile, etc?

Wow! That is some pattern!

GM has sold its minority stake in Isuzu, Subaru, Suzuki and PSA Peugeot-Citroën as well.

Aren't those companies doing pretty well?

[oil pan 4]

I am pretty sure the electric car committed suicide both times.

[niky]

Pontiac and Oldsmobile were badge-engineering exercises at the end of their lives. It was the only way they were able to survive that much longer than Hudson, Packard, Studebaker or Duesenberg. The market is not kind to also-ran manufacturers, and having two successful mass-market ones under one corporate umbrella... or in GM's case, three, with Pontiac, Chevrolet and Saturn... you're simply cannibalizing yourself.

GM got lazy with Hummer... they could have brought the brand downmarket sooner. But if you have a gimmick brand, there's only so far you can take it.

Daewoo is doing better than it ever did.

Only it's called Chevrolet, now.

[elhigh]

GM was just too big. All those brands were competing against each other.

Saab had become a joke, only a shell of its former uniqueness. Hummer had always been a joke, albeit one you could drive into a war zone...until they came out with the salon models. Then it was a dirty joke. One you could drive into Moab.

According to Wikipedia Tesla has some major owners in Toyota and Daimler AG. Musk owns another 10% according to the filing I just read. GM might not have much room to muscle in.

[sendler]

Originally Posted by Giovanni LiCalsi

Battery technology is getting very advanced and will produce a lithium battery that will be at least four times the power density in a few years.

Well, no.

[JasonG]

Saturn was killed by the UAW.
They were the only division of GM turning a profit but the lazy butt unions threatened to shut down the rest of the lines.