State of the Union December 13, 2010

Dec. 13, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

From the Detroit Free Press: The Chevrolet Silverado HD was been selected as the 2011 Motor Trend Truck of the Year, the publication announced this weekend. Chevrolet also earned the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year award for the Chevrolet Volt, the industry's first electric car with extended-range capability. It is the first time since 2006 that one brand has won both Motor Trend Car and Truck of the Year awards in the same year. Chevrolet and Buick won both awards in 1979. The new 2011 Silverado HD built in Flint, Mich., and Fort Wayne, Ind., was introduced this summer, featuring new frame and suspension designs, and a more powerful Duramax diesel engine with 397 horsepower, 765 lb.-ft. of torque, and 11 percent better fuel-economy. As a result, the 2011 Silverado HD is capable of towing up to 21,700 pounds, or carrying 6,635 pounds of payload. The new Silverado HD also offers available confidence- and control-related features specifically for towing including electronic trailer sway control, hill start assist and smart exhaust brake system.


From Automotive News: Figure on a slow and steady recovery in U.S. auto sales next year -- a rise of about 10 percent, according to the consensus of analysts surveyed by Automotive News. But one outlier predicts a much bigger jump in 2011 and offers some compelling data to back it up. The consensus is for 2011 volume of 12.7 million sales, a 10 percent increase if this year ends at 11.5 million units. All but one of the seven analysts predicted a market of 12.5 to 12.9 million. But Morgan Stanley says consumer creditworthiness is improving so rapidly that lenders are about to loosen credit dramatically -- and that will rocket the market to 14 million units in 2011. "The catalyst is credit availability -- a bigger impediment to auto sales than tight inventories or low demand," says Ravi Shanker, Morgan Stanley's lead analyst for North America.

GM sold 196,990 vehicles in China last month, up 11 % over last year, as total sales topped the 2 million mark for the year. Analysts expect the Chinese market to total right around 18 million for the year, the highest ever for a country.( GM sold 168,739 vehicles in the US last month with year-to-date sales of 1,991,042)