I want an electric Focus too, and you're right: battery issues and overall price make or break the deal. Getting beyond the internal combustion era isn't just good for the environment, it is critical to our economic future and national security. Being able to re-charge at workplaces would make electrics much more viable, as well. Let's get it done!

Now all we need to to is get those clean electricity mines up to speed. Good thing there is plenty of electricity to be mined.

GCV

We have more than adequate electricity supply for the coming decade. Most nuclear plants aren't running anywhere near capacity, especially at night. What energy companies will do is change their rate schedules to incentivize night-time use.

So, you'll get home and plug in your electric car. The plug will be on a timer. It begins charging at 12-1 a.m. We'll have a "second peak" in demand, but, like I said, there's more than enough capacity currently.

Of course, a couple more nuke plants being commissioned in the near future wouldn't hurt - considering it takes a decade or so to get them built and running.

wow, Government Motors' sales are up 14%! That would mean something if last quarter you sold more than 10 cars!

GM will never see another of my purchasing dollars. My tax dollars I can't stop until 2012, but I will then for certain put an end to keeping a crappy car company afloat!

NObama in 2012!

There is no set of circumstances that would cause me to buy a GM or Chrysler, hurry up and bankrupt again.

Everybody seems very excited over this. Make sure that it is understood that the reason for this is NOT because U.S. auto makers are doing so well, it is because "Toyota's car and truck sales fell 16 percent in January, a month when the automaker recalled millions of vehicles and halted sales of several models. Most other automakers reported higher sales, a sign they may be benefiting from Toyota's woes."

If it wasn't for Toyota's failure, we could just as easily be talking about how sales fell for GM, just like they did for "Fiat" (Chrysler was down 8 percent.) I have two questions: 1. If sales are up, does that mean they are making a profit? 2. If they are making a profit, does that mean they will be paying back the $60 Billion loan, plus interest?

Kudos to Ford who once again proves that it can run its business without a public bailout. Keep it up, Ford, a 25% sales increase is something to be proud of.

orbust -

We would not even have an auto industry but for the government involvement in saving our auto industry. Now it looks as though this industry is turning around and whom is too say they will not be a major player in our country and in the world. You speak as though this is so minor, I repeat we would have no industry whatsoever.

Gone and never to return and I don't like that idea and for getting OURmoney back can you possibly wait until they rebuild and start realizing sizable profit? You speak as though there are no jobs in assembly and every single auto part is manufactured else where. Even if so, I don't believe it is so, the autos are assembled here and maybe we can build the worlds greatest assembly of automobiles. Have a little faith and drive or are you one of those "Tea-Baggers" that blame everything that is wrong in your world on a one term President? You did read PROFIT in the article? You are not one of those that wish the President fails and thus the country? For the sake of petty politics?

Please acquire some perspective how we got here and try and find the ideas we need to promote that which will revitalize our economy. Take advantage of Toyota's problems and start engineering cars for the future.

God DAMN Obama and his assistance to the auto....

Oh wait. This is good news.

Stop Whining -

Naysayers and defeatists stop whining and if you can't contribute then get out of the way. All this whining is self absorption in self pity is reminiscent of spoiled children. Think of how we arrived in this situation and try and think of something positive and creative. If you are not up to that at least stop whining you are driving everyone to drink or worse. Whine..Whine..and more Whining.

What a pitiful bunch of craven creatures.

Funny how GM is the top selling brand in America by a large margin and peole act as if they will be gone tomorrow.....PLEASE!

Toyota has never eclipsed GM in the US regardless of your incorect recollections.

You people are without merit, you can't justify the air you breathe, GM is numbe 4 in America right noow.

Jerry, you are grossly misinformed

Market Share

1) GM 23.5%

2) Toyota 14.7%

3) Ford 14.3%

Deal with it.

Toyota's newest ad campaign: After nearly 2 decades on top, our Camry is unstoppable!

I think you defeatist's on here should eat crow, GM will repay the Government and is on pace to do so early. Please keep driving your toy runaway cars that may get your arse sued in the event you injure someone else driving your proven dangerous vehicle. LOL

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4337053.html

HOPEFULLY THE RIDICULOUS UNIONS DON'T TRY TO F**K THIS GROWTH UP!!!!

Congratulations first of all to Ford Motor Company. They are a much better run corporation. GM receives a reserved congratulation as they are still faltering if it weren't for unlimited funds being poured into them by our government run system. This is the concern I have for them ever being revitalized. You KNOW this government will pour as much of our tax dollars into its effort to try and prove they have a clue.

Now, hopefully our ridiculous UAW and the other unions don't try to jump in and start demanding renegotiating it's concessions as they have in the past, adding to the downfall of our auto industry. The era of huge wages, benefits and legacy are GONE! Unions MUST go back to what they were initially intended to do. Create a safe and stable work environment and assure REASONABLE wages and work hours. Any other benefits that were so irresponsibly added in the past 30 decades must be either eliminated or at least significantly reduced.

Our nation is BROKE. Our Manufacturing base has been eroding for decades. We are becoming a service based economy. No nation has ever achieved or maintained wealth as a service economy. Or, as we have for the past 10 years become a consumption based economy, this will never be sustainable. We must return our nation to a FREE MARKET economy. This constant government intrusion, trade restrictions with NAFTA and others along with unions restricting corporate growth,,,,,,MUST END!!!!!!!!!

Our nation was once the leader in exports worldwide, now we have fallen to third. Our nation was once a place the masses came to be able to live the AMERICAN DREAM, now that dream is evaporating. Our nation once prided itself on it's moral, social and ethnic diversity, now we fear any discussion due to political correctness. Our nation was once the proud leader of free market capitalism, now its becoming a government refuge for those who don't have the desire to succeed. Our nation once prided itself on our immigration policy, now we fear what it brings across our borders.

Industrial strength, immigrants who were proud to become Americans, leaders who were committed to our nations prosperity and security, a Constitution that is envied by the rest of the world, freedom that has allowed us to become the greatest empire on earth,,,,these are the virtues that made America great.

DO WE THE PEOPLE STILL HAVE THIS IDEOLOGY, OR DO WE WANT UNIONS, GOVERNMENT AND SOCIAL INEQUALITY TO DETERMINE OUR FATE?

UNFORTUNATELY WITH THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP, I HAVE MY DOUBTS!

GO NISSAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ken - "I think you defeatist's on here should eat crow, GM will repay the Government and is on pace to do so early."

- You might want to "slow your roll" a little bit Ken. In 2009, GM declared bankruptcy after taking over $50 Billion in loans from the taxpayers. They MIGHT pay back $9 Billion in June of 2010. I notice that the article talks about increased sales, but says NOTHING of profit/loss. They lost 30.9 Billion in 2008, and the figures are not in for 2009 (most likely because of the bankruptcy), but "profit" is not likely something that you will see from 2009.

What about their suppliers who will never be repaid as a result of their bankruptcy? GM needs to keep its tail between its legs and stay humble, NOT TELL THE "DEFEATISTS TO EAT CROW!"

Orbust –

I think you need to heed you own advice (research) and realize that GM was heading for a total breakdown. That a shadow of the corporation may have existed is speculation on your part you have no evidence to infer or deduce such a conclusion that “GM knew what they were doing”, I ardently disagree the empirical evidence says they didn’t know squat and the top management should all have been let go. You know I don’t get your rational, lets bail out Aig (billions and billions more than the auto industry) and the other financials that create no jobs and let the auto industry crumble and at best salvage or in your words “cutting it to size with out a bailout”. Just one question, because your statement invites many, the question you totally ignore is how to pay the creditors? You say no bailouts just cut to size ( how to do that and who is going to structure such?) I don’t have any idea of what you mean or are implying. Where are GM’s creditors in your equation? The nationwide dealers?

Size does matter and that show room you were in the other day would probably not be there if we had followed your directive.

The deal is done we (taxpayers all not just you) own a majority interest in GM and it looks as though we have a very high likelihood of being paid back every cent as a poster noted above. If you don’t agree rebut that poster or posters. I can see merit in the positive posts and not much that you can pin your negative rebuttal based on the material in this article. But, go for it.

Your disdain for assembly and the jobs that go with assembling I don’t understand your animus. Again, I say lets be the premier assembly of autos in the world and build on the parts division of the whole product. I have heard of foreign automakers moving assembly and product manufacturing to our country in the past. I don’t get your animosity.

Orbust, I do not pretend to be an auto industry expert I only know what I read in the articles such as this one and what transpired in bailing out the auto industry of which I am in total support of keeping the size of such and changing the marketing goals to breach our dependence on OPEC and produce low cost “green” cars that get great mileage. I see many hybrids on the highways and the American people will buy them if some genius can make an attractive auto and cut the cost. I read that the battery is a large component of the cost and we are working with proto-types that cut the cost and are able hold a charge longer while being able to be charged just about anywhere there is an electrical supply.

I appreciate your patriotism and I am with you on that 100%, let’s work together and not against our own interests that is all things equal, a good definition of insanity by most standards.

Sorry if I came on too strong no offense intended and I hope non- taken. I have read your posts before and you seem to have a pretty thick skin as I do. I have agreed in your points within your prior posts, not all but none that have prompted me to rebut. At this point it seems to me we are splitting hairs and let’s move on.

Have a good evening…over and out.

How does Toyota having problems make a Chevy worth buying? The last Chevy I owned had so many recalls I had my own coffey cup at the dealership. I actually liked the truck until it got to around 100K miles then the dam thing fell apart. I'm not joking. Every month or so something would break. Sad thing was some parts were replaced several times yet the replacement parts were just like the bad one. No changes were made. I don't own a Toyota but would not let this little bump affect my decision to buy one.

Either way, as a nation it is essential that we preserve asset creating industries. That is how we preserve our wealth - by making stuff and certainly not by importing it. Saving our auto industry was absolutely the right thing to do - it's one of the few things that can counteract the massive debt that this country is accumulating.

indifferent,

"People do not want GM or Chrysler." i didn't realize you speak for everybody.

there are quite a few gm models and a couple chrysler models i'd be interested in.

GCV,

Thanks to Toyota, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Hyundai, just to name a few, there are still quality cars being built in America. Last year Toyata had the only truck that was built entirely in the US. Not Ford. Not GM. Not Dodge. Toyota!

capt,

how do you know toyota had the only truck entirely made in the usa?

the only info i could find showed that tundra had an 80% domestic content. our 08 silverado had an 85% domestic content.

BTW, that Toyots Tundra is a TURD compared to the Silverado and the F-150, unless maybe you want to use it as a car.

independantbychoice,

"People do not want GM or Chrysler." i didn't realize you speak for everybody.

And I did not realize that making a generalized statement infers that I speak for all people. Probably because it doesnt. Now had I stated that either "nobody" or that "all people" then you would be valid in your attempt to correct me, but I did not not. I have spoken with "people" that do not want GM or Chrysler becasue they took bailout money, therefore PEOPLE do not want GM or Chrysler for the stated reason.

there are quite a few gm models and a couple chrysler models i'd be interested in.

In line with my statement above, who cares what your interested in? All you seem to want to do is act the smart ass role and make feeble attempts at arguments.

Back under your bridge, the billy goats are coming.

we are very happy with our silverado. we can even carry the spare tire in it's intended location without worrying about it falling off and causing an accident.

indiff,

if you meant "some people" perhaps you should have said "some people."

no need to get so defensive. it's not my fault you can't express your thoughts accurately.

I'd still buy a Toyota. My '81 still ran great in '96 when I gave it to my son and bought a new Toyota. My '96 Toyota has 153,500 miles on it and still runs GREAT! - not even a drop of oil used between changes! I'd prefer NOT to own a Government Motors vehicle; I'd buy a Ford first because I admire that they did not take bailout money. I'm looking forward to buying a PLUG-IN (no hybrid, thank you) when one becomes affordable and has a range of at least 150 miles before re- charging (my kids live 140 miles away!). Any car company want my business? Let's see the car!

How stupid do you really have to be to not see the TRUTH! If Washington let GM and Chrysler fail and likely FORD due to suppliers going belly up, the cost in Unemployment compensation alone would be over 200 billion in the first year, figuring in extionsions and loss of tax revenue it could easily cost U.S. TAXPAYER'S a Trillion, none of which would ever be repaid. So use YOUR STUPID LOGIC in saying i would not buy "Government MOTORS".

Captain foolish- yes, let's thank them for stealing OUR wealth. I like how you parrots keep touting that toyota is American, NOT in any way shape or form. I would like OUR politicians to give those foreign corporations the SAME deal OUR corporations get in their countries! A fat Tarriff on every FOREIGN vehicle rolling off assembly lines in America, after all, our factories are not even allowed in korea and japan.

Ford got lucky. They screwed up before the rest of us and had the good fortune to have sorted out a lot of their issues before the economy imploded. If GM and Chrysler had screwed up as much, they too would be in better shape now.

Ford also landed a huge amount of oil contracts when gas was cheap. That buffered there earnings during the tough months. They may not have taken bail out money. However they definitely benefited from the stimulus.

The only reason Ford was not in trouble as well, is Ford had a 9 or 13 billion dollar line of credit that was secured prior to the economy driving over a cliff.

They would have been at the public trough IF they had not had a private trough set up before the markets froze.

TO be fair, Ford did accept funds for research, but what everyone is ignoring:

TOYOTA RECIEVED ONE OF THE LARGEST GOVERNMENT BAILOUTS IN JAPANESE HISTORY LAST YEAR!!!!!

Finally, some educated posters that post facts and not parroting what they heard.

Try this folks Ford made a series of business decisions several years ago that enabled the company to withstand the recent down-turn. Also Ford is a major player in the European market with a great market share and usually very good profits. Plus all recent reports show excellent U.S. products with more to come in the near future.

Bruce,

You are 100% correct. Those are a few of the items Ford did to "manage their business" as I stated.

GCV, Dakota & ShowMeMan,

MBAs are we? So, what part of any comment any of you made is not a part of working to "manage their business?" You do understand securing contracts and insuring lines of credit in any business cycle is good business management? GM & Chrysler had the same opportunities.

Lets just say that I have personal experience working directly with all three automakers. Ford was light years ahead of GM & Chrysler in recognizing problems and in their work to turn their company around. Reducing staff, reviewing product lines, increasing efficiencies etc. I could go on and on.

This is not about what manufacturer we may personally like, it is about managing the business. That simple.

You're confusing the Sidekick with the Suzuki Samurai! That was the vehicle given the Consumer Reports kiss of death. I was about to buy another of their "not recommended" vehicles (a Dodge Omni GLH) back in the '80's but didn't because a Mustang 5.0 LX was the same price and cheaper to insure!! The bottom line is if you want to buy a toaster or washer and dryer, Consumer Reports is a great resource, for cars, not so much!! I wonder how they'll handle the Toyota recalls since they LUV Toyotas!!

Fred G

Let me get this straight you looked at an economy car (Dodge Omni) then bought a pony car with a V-8. Say what you will but a 5.0 Mustang is one tough street car with decent mileage for the performance that you get.

I may be forced to buy a Tacoma or Frontier since neither GM or Dodge have ever made a small pick up as good as the Ranger (actually the early '80's Mitsubishi built D-50 was a good truck but the follow up was not an improvement. Also Chevy's second generation S-10 was pretty good but they went backward with the Izuzu designed Colorado). Ford was supposed to have a new Ranger soon, but if they don't my current '91 (my 4th) will be my last!

Uh guys, the Ranger is actually a Mazda. I owned one, and the only thing not Mazda designed was the engine. Ever see a Mazda and a Ranger sitting next to each other?

Yeah, but Ford owns 2/3 of Mazda. Mazda and Ford have been swapping parts and technology for decades. Mazda is pretty much just another division of Ford Motor Company.

Wrong the Mazda was a re-skinned Ranger (2wd's even have twin I-beam front suspension until '97) starting in 1994,not the other way around. The old (1974-'81) Ford Courier was based on Mazda's earliest piston engined truck (their first pick up was rotary powered). The newest (2004 and newer) four cylinder engine is a Mazda design and is a version of the engine in the Mazda6 and Ford Fusion. The transmission in my Ranger is a Mazda component, but the rest of the truck is Ford.

ScoMata . . . the last Mazda pickup was built in 93 . . . all Mazda pickups since then have been Ford Rangers . . . they are made in the same plant in Michigan.

So are you going to hold Toyota, BMW, Porsche,and Nissan to the same standard, they all received bailouts from their respective governments.

GP, here is some math maybe you can understand, GM, Chrysler, likely Ford going bust would cost taxpayers atleast 400 billion in unemployment alone, which i consider conservative, now how much did they get in loans???? It goes to show it was a no-brainer considering even BUSH was not that stupid, his administration started the loans. So think before you open that piehole!

Walking shoe manufacturers (for when the G*d Damn batteries crap out!!)!!

The last time I checked health care reform hadn't passed and it's doubtful the mandate to buy is going to be in whatever reforms do pass!!

wlockridge, are you a banker, maybe so.here is some math maybe you can understand, GM, Chrysler, likely Ford going bust would cost taxpayers atleast 400 billion in unemployment alone, which i consider conservative, now how much did they get in loans???? It goes to show it was a no-brainer considering even BUSH was not that stupid, his administration started the loans. So think before you open that piehole!

Where did you get the dribble your spewing through your keyboard? Post some links that prove the government bought exclusively GM and Chrysler fleet vehicles.

What's wrong with target marketing? It is good salesmanship.

Larlex - you have serious issues. It's okay for Toyota to go on telling people (since 2007 at least) that floor mats were causing people to wreck and sometimes die) when either 1) it knew better but wanted to cover it up, or 2) it didn't really know what was causing the problem, but decided that from a cost-benefit standpoint it was cheaper to deal with a few pesky deaths than get the cars off the road at least two years ago. BUT, you won't buy an American car because you object to homosexuality???? Just to get this straight, it is your opinion that Ford advertises in such a way that it "overtly supports" homosexuality? What planet are you living on? Now I've heard everything. Somebody has actually found a way to link homosexuality with automotive issues. Alice in Wonderland would have a hard time connecting those dots.

Latex- the unions you hate have given us the middle class and holidays we all enjoy, i am not union, i still do not understand the hatred of unions, jealousy i suspect.

Like when Bush rushed U.S. to war in Iraq and let Bin Laden stroll free in afganistan for years. No would have been prudent then!

JUDY--- How about the Money that OBAMA, the Bankruptcy referee and the UAW screwed the stockholders and secured creditors out of? When will that be paid back?

I will buy my next GM/Chrysler the day after Obama leaves office and the UAW is nor longer a part of the business.

I'm just hanging in we have a grand jury with Obama,s name on it as soon as he leaves office.

Jerry, that's how bankruptcy protection works. Neither GM, nor President Obama nor the UAW invented bankruptcy. It's business and sometimes folks get screwed. I lost some money on GM stock in that mess. Am I bitter? No. Buying stock is gambling. I bet and lost. Oh well, time to move on.

Dream on, Jerry. You can use whatever excuse you want to for not buying a GM or Chrysler car. Just get your facts straight first. You are so entrenched in making sure that Obama gets blamed for everything that the LOANS are just one more way for you to justify your position. Buy what you want. Who cares?

The Federal Bankruptcy code is very specific, secured creditors are paid first.

Mr. Obama will be out of Office 1/20/2013, take it to the bank, we will have a grand jury waiting for him.

If my facts are in error please list where Judy, you are the typical liberal, lie then ignore any corrections.

Jerry, who are the secured creditors who were cheated? How come they aren't saying anything? Please reference those charges since a grand jury is about to be convened. I would like to stay on top of that story.

Jerry, i bet you want your money back from the Indian casino's also. The stock market is a gamble, you played and lost, get over it loser!

Dude you left out the Aztek. The GM recommended coolant ate up the intake gaskets necessitating a $1200.00 repair. During the first 2 years mechanics pointed it out and GM denied it and continued to tell customers that they had to use the offending coolant or lose warranty protection. Once the warranty was up they then acknowledged the problem with the coolant and said too bad so sad, trade it in and buy another. At least Toyota admitted it and took steps to correct it, free by the way.

"reliability"???

Toyota kept the accidents and the deaths quiet for as long as they could. They did nothing. The problems were presented to them time and time again.

Remember this faulty gas pedal dates back over 5 years of denial and death. The news called the "hot line" and got the run-around last week.

Toyota told people a while back to just take the floor mat out. They know FULL WELL the problem was bigger and more dangerous than that.

I myself don't think you can compare this long standing, very dangerous lack of responsiblity to a Pinto manufacturer 30 years ago whose situation was not as high tech and as easily monitored as today's car manufacturers.

The Pinto deal was blown out of proportion (not to mention it was almost 40 years ago), as most so-called exploding gas tank deals have been. The only one that truly merited concern was the GM truck one because unlike virtually all of the other gas tank issues they could leak after relatively low speed collisions (having only sheetmetal protecting the gas tank is a real bad idea!!). All the other ones (70's GM intermediates and Ford Crown Victoria are the other main ones) needed high speed impacts of around 60 miles per hour before there was an issue.

Those incidences mentioned were caused by collisions, you name the outside force causing toys to race off! Oh ya, sloppy engineering!

Yes, of course you will still be rooting for this home team, when the financial infrastructure sighs and comes to a creaking halt.

No need to root for him to fail, that ship already sailed. All the cheer leading in the world won't bring it back to the dock.

Come on, Jerry. By all indications the economy is slowly recovering. Be positive. Get out of your funk.

What's the deal with all the nautical metaphors on this thread? It's making me seasick! : (

Yeah rmantano, the economy is "slowly recovering", as Geithner hides the BILLIONS that Fannie and Freddie are losing EVERY MONTH by giving them a 400 BILLION dollar "line of credit" to cover their losses.

As out of almost 500 BILLION dollars given out in bailouts, only 165 BILLION have been returned as of 29 January this year.

As now we are going to "punish" the banks for taking bailout money, and who is actually going to pay for these "fees" and "taxes" rmantano? As we are raising taxes on businesses and the "rich", and who's actually going to be paying those taxes rmantano?

You think this is recovery???? Are you paying attention at all?

We are borrowing TRILLIONS of dollars and someone has to pay that back. I guess as long as it isn't you, you just don't give a damn, do you?

Roger, Jerry,wlockridge, you genius's tell me how sending trillions of dollars to japan to be converted to yen helps America! I for one fear the day when we have to rely on foreigners to manufacture our Military might! We won WWII with manufacturing, without it we are at the mercy of our enemies.

See that all depends on where the numbers come from, whose agenda they serve, and how they get "unexpectedly" revised tomorrow. The people that you are calling names are mostly people that are sick and tired of being lied to. Cheer leading only works at football games and, here's a hint, it's the short skirts. It says nothing about the teams ability.

hzelis........Wonderful news!!! GM makes money!!

And golly gee it only cost taxpayers 51 BILLION dollars to allow GM to have something "good" to happen.

Yeah, I'm glad that my taxes could save the unions.... I mean GM and Chrysler, even though Chrysler is still losing money after receiving "only" 11 BILLION taxpayer dollars.

Jerry; The financial infrastructure sighed to a halt in 2008. It is now slowly recovering. You Obama haters have very little relationship to facts.

cd08... You libs actually make up facts, so where you get off calling anyone that disagrees with the stupidity of Obamanomics a "hater" is pure hypocrisy on your part.

CD08----Yes of course sunshine, it will recover, business will ignore the 8% increase in insurance fees to anyncompany with a payroll of 1 million or more, they the will ignore the 5.24 % tax increase if they have an AGI of 500, 000 or more, that's for the healthcare reform bill the inept liar in the white house is pushing.

Then, the Cap and Trade Bill,, will increase the cost of electricity by about 30 % adding about 11% to operational costs for manufacturing, no problem business will ignore that too.

Then when they raise taxes on business in the new budget, who knows about them, or raising taxes on the "rich, don't worry about them either they will innore all of the tax increases and regulatry increase and keep on doing what they do and providing jobs and paying taxes, they won't thumb their nose at you as they leave the US.

You supporters of the Democratic Parasitical Party, really, are delusional.

Roger you show me ONE trait in Bush that would actually define Conservative?

Hear, Hear!