The annual Pre-Trim bake sale will be Monday, Dec. 10. The sale will begin at first break on both shifts and continue until all items are sold. It will be held at the team center at column T-49. Proceeds will go to support the Adopt-A-Child program. Anyone wishing to donate bakery items can drop them off at the team center.
If you were chosen for an overnight drive (VAP) you need to see Pat Workman at the Suggestions office to fill out your driver’s pass and receive instructions about the guidelines of the program. You will need to present your driver’s license at that time as well. The master schedule is posted in the cafeteria. We also recommend that you familiarize yourself with the vehicle before hitting the road as some of the vehicles have technology and controls that you haven’t used before.
As reported, van sales rose 14.7% in November, the best result for that month since 2008. Here is how the rest of the segment fared:
| 2012 | 2011 | Change | Share | |
| Ford Econoline | 8400 | 7795 | +7.8% | 46.4% |
| GM | 7021 | 6119 | +14.7% | 38.8% |
| Mercedes Sprinter | 1630 | 1045 | +56% | 9.0% |
| Nissan NV | 1042 | 1238 | -15.8% | 5.8% |
| Ford Transit connect | 2853 | 2717 | +5% | ---- |
Field supplies as measured in days was virtually unchanged at 61. Overall units in the field were up almost 1500, with cargo vans accounting for the bulk of the increase. Passenger van supplies continue to be very low, with a little less than 1100 total (GM has 4400 dealers).
TrueCar.com a research and forecasting company, estimated the average transaction price for light vehicles in the U.S. in November totaled $30,832, which is up $335 or 1.1% from November 2011 and up $346 or 1.1% from this past October. TrueCar also estimated the average incentive is $2,764, which marks an increase of $117 or 4.4% from the year-earlier period and a jump of $447 or 19% from alst October.2012. The estimated ratio of incentives to average transaction prices wass 9% in November, which is up from 8.7% a year earlier and up from 7.6% in October 2012.
From the Wall Street Journal: General Motors Co. plans to drive the styling of its top-selling pickup trucks away from the rough and rugged looks of the past decade when it launches redesigned models next year, the head of the auto maker's North American operations said on Wednesday.
Redesigned large Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups are due out next year, to be followed by a new line of smaller pickups in 2014 to lure customers who are willing to accept less towing power or payload capacity for better fuel economy. The large pickups are GM's highest-volume models in the U.S., and analysts estimate they generate an outsize share of the auto maker's global profits.
Mark Reuss, head of GM's North American operations, said the company's new large trucks will mark a departure from recent years during which GM and its leading rivals in the segment-F ord Motor Co.'s F-series trucks, Chrysler Group LLC's Ram line, Toyota Motor Corp.'s Tundra and Nissan Motor Corp.'s Titan-all strove to project tough images with "big, big chrome grilles" and front ends that borrowed the looks of long-haul Class 8 trucks.
"When you see our [new] trucks, they'll look powerful, but not overdone," Mr. Reuss said. "The truck market is changing. People are ready to see something beautiful, refined and highly engineered."
Mr. Reuss also elaborated on GM's strategy to use two different truck lines to respond to consumer demand for greater fuel efficiency. GM archrival Ford has scored a hit with a version of its F-150 pickup that uses a turbocharged, six-cylinder engine-b randed "EcoBoost"-to achieve a rating of 22 highway miles on a gallon of gasoline, better than either the six- or eight-cylinder engines offered in the current Silverado.
Mr. Reuss said GM's new smaller trucks should outdo the EcoBoost, and give GM a truck it can use to compete with Toyota's popular Tacoma model, which appeals to people who want a "lifestyle" truck for play rather than work. These customers "want 90% of the duty cycle, and 120% of the fuel economy" of a large pickup such as the Silverado, Mr. Reuss said.
GM is also looking at offering a diesel engine in its new light-duty trucks-a move that could yield better fuel-efficiency numbers. Mr. Reuss didn't offer details.
During the first 10 months of this year, sales of Ford's F-series lineup have grown 11%, driven in part by demand for the EcoBoost models, while Silverado sales have risen just 1.3%, according to Autodata Corp. Mr. Reuss indicated he expects that trend to change.
"We've had the oldest trucks in the market," Mr. Reuss said. "And now we'll have the newest."
Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
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