September 24, 2014 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
• From the Veteran’s Committee: The 9th Annual SOS (Support our Soldiers) Poker Run is this Saturday, Sept. 27. Registration at the Union Hall begins at 10 am with last bike out by noon. Cost is $10 per bike/cage and $5 for each extra hand. All bikes and cages welcome. There will also be a 50/50 raffle. Ride ends at the Tatooed Lady in Moscow Mills. Last bike in at 7 pm. Ride will be approximately 90 miles. Proceeds benefit Operation H.E.R.O.E.S. Care. If you have any questions contact Steve Melson at 636-262-1234.
• Also: There will be a Gate Drive this Thursday, Sept. 25 before the shifts to benefit H.E.R.O.E.S. Care.
• There will be a Blood Drive at the plant Wednesday, October 1. Signups will be taken Wed. September 24 and Thur. September 25 in the cafeteria.
• The third United Way drawing will be held Thursday, Sept. 25 on first shift in the cafeteria at lunch time. You can qualify by either signing up as a new donor, increasing your donation, or changing the designation for your donations to this area. Prizes will be a Black and Decker drill and a Mega Kitchen System. Go to the Socrates home page (google “my Socrates” and click on the first result to log in) and use the United Way link to sign up or change your profile.
• The nominees for the North American Truck of the Year were announced yesterday. Both the Colorado and Canyon made the short list. The other competitors are: Audi Q3, Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford F-150, Lexus NX, Lincoln MKC, Mercedes-Benz GLA class, Nissan Murano, Porsche Macan, Subaru Outback and Toyota Highlander.
• Forbes did an article revealing which 2015 vehicles they recommended avoiding. Among them was the pseudo pickup otherwise known as the Honda Ridgeline. Said Forbes: “Not so much a pickup truck as a midsize crossover SUV with an open cargo hold; rendered irrelevant by the new Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups.”
• First drive reviews of the Colorado and Canyon are starting to appear. We intend to cover every one of them for you. We’ll start with the Edmunds review. Here’s some of what they had to say about the Canyon (read the full review)
o No one will miss the outgoing 185-horsepower 2.9-liter four-cylinder base engine. Its 2.5-liter replacement makes 200 hp and delivers 90 percent of its peak torque at just 2,000 rpm. Better still, the unloved 3.7-liter five-cylinder that made 242 hp and a like amount of torque is stepping aside in favor of a smooth-running 3.6-liter V6 that makes 305 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque.
o Like the Chevrolet Colorado, the Canyon's 3.6-liter V6 comes to life with little fanfare, and it settles into a calm idle that's accompanied by a tiny amount of mechanical engine sound.
o There's plenty of grunt when we roll gently onto the gas, and it pulls strongly when we press harder. The six-speed automatic is smooth and sure as it goes up through the gears, and there isn't much wind or road noise as we settle in at 70 mph.
o The steering has enough heft and on-center definition to make straight-ahead cruising a relaxing pursuit, and it turns in accurately when corners enter the mix. The response is a little slower than we'd like, but not by much. There's less overall body roll than the last Tacoma we drove, and it leans in more gradually. We could easily spend all day behind the wheel of one of these. It's clearly better than the Canyon of old, and it feels more grown up than the competition.
o GM engineers have found the Goldilocks zone. The ride is neither too hard over bumps, nor too floaty and bouncy when the pavement gets wavy. Yes, a lone occupant hauling nothing but Grade-A air might notice a little firmness, but that's par for the course when it comes to an empty pickup. Mostly, the Canyon shrugs off bumps and potholes with little aftertaste. The stiffness of the underlying structure is clearly helping the suspension do its job more effectively. The attractive bucket seats offer good support, and they certainly take the edge off coarser road inputs.
o The cab of the new Canyon is simply a nice place to be. It feels much more up to date and manages to translate the feel and atmosphere of GMC's full-size Sierra 1500 to a smaller package. GMC's 8-inch IntelliLink screen occupies a prominent and easy-to-reach spot in the middle of the dash, and the buttons and knobs that control it are clearly separated from the climate control array that sits a respectful distance below. Convincing stainless-steel accents set the whole thing off nicely.
Though it doesn't necessarily look it from the outside, the backseat of the crew cab offers a smidge over 2 inches more legroom than a Nissan Frontier and just over 3 inches more than a Toyota Tacoma.
o All V6-powered Canyons come with a 3.42-to-1 final drive ratio. There are no optional choices, so the same truck that can tow the maximum of 7,000 pounds can also achieve the rated fuel economy when empty. If only full-size tow ratings were this simple. A 2015 Toyota Tacoma can tow 6,500 pounds. Aside from the V6 engine, the only options necessary to achieve the max are the locking rear differential and the Z82 Trailering package (hitch and integrated seven-pin wiring). On paper there's ample power and torque, and the V6 engine comes with a Tow/Haul mode switch that has proven to be very effective in past towing tests with other six-speed-equipped GM trucks. We're pretty confident that we'll like what we see when we take a Canyon to our favorite test grade.
o The bed looks good, primarily because it's so deep: 2 more inches, according to GM. A long tailgate makes for a longer platform length when it's folded down, which is how 8-foot lumber can fit in the 6-foot 2-inch bed without hanging over.
o This Canyon has enough capability for all but the most demanding tasks of the average truck owner. It's also easier to park, gets better mileage and is more likely to fit neatly into your garage than the full-size GMC Sierra.
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
State of the Union September 10, 2014
September 10, 2014 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
• This Saturday, Sept. 13, is the annual Union Picnic, to be held at the Union Hall. It will run from 1 pm to 5 pm and feature snack stations and a food buffet. Entertainment and activities will include a DJ, obstacle course, rock wall, giant slide, little bit zone and arts and crafts displays. Bring a lawn chair and your badge or Union card to get into the picnic.
• August was another big month for van sales as our vans outsold the Ford Econoline/Transit combined by over 4000 units. Here’s how the rest of the segment shook out:
2014 2013 Change Share GM 12,069 9346 +29.1% 49.0%
Ford Econoline 6,702 8631 -22.3% 27.2%
Mercedes Sprinter 1,880 1390 +35.3% 7.6%
Nissan NV 1,227 1027 +19.5% 5.0%
Ram Promaster 1,658 --- --- 6.7%
Ford Transit 1,099 --- --- 4.4%
Ford Transit connect 3,923 3925 even ---
Nissan NV200 1,223 514 +138% ---
Combined, the rest of the entire full-size van offerings only outsold GM by 497 units. In addition, we sold around 1700 passenger vans compared to Ford’s 460. Regarding field supplies, overall they were essentially flat compared with last month, staying at 31 days supply. Looking at midsize trucks, Toyota sold 14,338 Tacomas, down 5.8%. Tacoma sales are down 6.9% for the year. Nissan sold 6770 Frontiers, up 2.8%. Frontier sales are up 16.8% this year.
• Speaking of the new full-size Transit van, Ford was crowing about landing their biggest fleet order for the eurovan. According to TruckTrend, “Ford just landed its first large-volume fleet purchase of Transit vans with 800 units by Connecticut-based Charter Communications, a cable, phone, and internet provider servicing customers in 29 states across the country.” To quote Church Lady, “Well isn’t that special!” Charter’s order consists of low-roof, short-wheelbase cargo vans, meaning they’ll most likely be gas models with the 3.7L V-6 Duratec. In other words, keep your overpriced, raised-roof, ecoboost van. Kinda pales in comparison to our 10,500 unit U-Haul order….
• From Automotive News: Chevrolet dealer Mike Maheras can't wait for a dozen Colorado midsize pickups to arrive at his two stores next month, although he's disappointed he couldn't get more. "I'd have taken as many as they could give me," says Maheras, dealer principal at Phillips Chevrolet of Lansing, Ill., and general manager at the group's Frankfort store south of Chicago. "This is a market that we've been missing since the Colorado went away" in 2012. Maheras' order is one among a surge of requests from dealers for the redesigned 2015 Colorado and its sibling, the GMC Canyon, which return to showrooms in October after a two-year absence. GM says dealers ordered 28,000 Colorados and another 14,000 Canyons during the first 30 days after it began taking orders, more than five times its forecast. Dealers commonly go big on initial orders of newly launched models, when eager buyers are lined up. Still, GM views the reception as a sign that dealers believe in the market for smaller pickups, even as many skeptics question the company's strategy. The launch of the Colorado and Canyon is among the most closely watched in years for GM, and may serve as a bellwether of consumers' pickup preferences. GM is counting on the smaller trucks to give Chevy and GMC lineups that no rival can match: a midsize pickup, plus full-size offerings in the both light- and heavy-duty segments. GM last week announced EPA fuel economy ratings of 18 mpg city/26 highway/21 combined for models with the 3.6 liter V-6 engine, which should be the volume model. That should easily lead the segment, ahead of the 17 city/21 highway/19 combined rating of the Toyota Tacoma's V-6. Maheras is happy that his salespeople will be able to boast segment-leading fuel economy. He's not worried about comparisons to full-size trucks. "There are plenty of other factors the midsize buyer looks at," he says. "They'll like the smaller package and the design."
• From Nooga.com: Coordinators of an employee-created union called American Council of Employees at Volkswagen are accelerating their organizing efforts. Last week, Volkswagen worker Mike Burton, who led anti-United Auto Worker efforts during February's election, announced he was starting the new union at the local plant. The move is an effort to oppose Local 42, which is a local UAW chapter. Establishing Local 42 is another route for the UAW to be recognized by Volkswagen. On the topic of Burton's new efforts, UAW leaders told Reuters that American Council of Employees didn't have much chance at succeeding. According to the article:
Gary Casteel, secretary-treasurer of the UAW, told Reuters on Tuesday he does not see how Burton's union stands much of a chance because VW and the UAW "have a consensus" that the company will recognize Local 42. Casteel said it is up to VW whether it will recognize the new union if Burton is successful in creating one at the VW plant, which has about 1,500 hourly workers.
But American Council of Employees said via the new organization's website that UAW leaders continue to use the word "consensus," but the site notes that VW leaders haven't said anything about that. "Not once has VW acknowledged ANY relationship with the UAW," according to the site. "Curious how some twist misrepresentation until it looks like the truth." Burton said he has about 150 signatures now in support of American Council of Employees, and he needs to get 415. "We hope to announce in the next week or so that we are moving ahead with the blessing from over 30 percent of the hourly and the salaried employees," he said via the site. "That’s 30 percent each." After they do that, American Council of Employees leaders will petition the National Labor Relations Board to be recognized as an employee union, then they will ask Volkswagen officials to be "recognized and voted on by Chattanooga VW employees," according to the site.
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
• This Saturday, Sept. 13, is the annual Union Picnic, to be held at the Union Hall. It will run from 1 pm to 5 pm and feature snack stations and a food buffet. Entertainment and activities will include a DJ, obstacle course, rock wall, giant slide, little bit zone and arts and crafts displays. Bring a lawn chair and your badge or Union card to get into the picnic.
• August was another big month for van sales as our vans outsold the Ford Econoline/Transit combined by over 4000 units. Here’s how the rest of the segment shook out:
2014 2013 Change Share GM 12,069 9346 +29.1% 49.0%
Ford Econoline 6,702 8631 -22.3% 27.2%
Mercedes Sprinter 1,880 1390 +35.3% 7.6%
Nissan NV 1,227 1027 +19.5% 5.0%
Ram Promaster 1,658 --- --- 6.7%
Ford Transit 1,099 --- --- 4.4%
Ford Transit connect 3,923 3925 even ---
Nissan NV200 1,223 514 +138% ---
Combined, the rest of the entire full-size van offerings only outsold GM by 497 units. In addition, we sold around 1700 passenger vans compared to Ford’s 460. Regarding field supplies, overall they were essentially flat compared with last month, staying at 31 days supply. Looking at midsize trucks, Toyota sold 14,338 Tacomas, down 5.8%. Tacoma sales are down 6.9% for the year. Nissan sold 6770 Frontiers, up 2.8%. Frontier sales are up 16.8% this year.
• Speaking of the new full-size Transit van, Ford was crowing about landing their biggest fleet order for the eurovan. According to TruckTrend, “Ford just landed its first large-volume fleet purchase of Transit vans with 800 units by Connecticut-based Charter Communications, a cable, phone, and internet provider servicing customers in 29 states across the country.” To quote Church Lady, “Well isn’t that special!” Charter’s order consists of low-roof, short-wheelbase cargo vans, meaning they’ll most likely be gas models with the 3.7L V-6 Duratec. In other words, keep your overpriced, raised-roof, ecoboost van. Kinda pales in comparison to our 10,500 unit U-Haul order….
• From Automotive News: Chevrolet dealer Mike Maheras can't wait for a dozen Colorado midsize pickups to arrive at his two stores next month, although he's disappointed he couldn't get more. "I'd have taken as many as they could give me," says Maheras, dealer principal at Phillips Chevrolet of Lansing, Ill., and general manager at the group's Frankfort store south of Chicago. "This is a market that we've been missing since the Colorado went away" in 2012. Maheras' order is one among a surge of requests from dealers for the redesigned 2015 Colorado and its sibling, the GMC Canyon, which return to showrooms in October after a two-year absence. GM says dealers ordered 28,000 Colorados and another 14,000 Canyons during the first 30 days after it began taking orders, more than five times its forecast. Dealers commonly go big on initial orders of newly launched models, when eager buyers are lined up. Still, GM views the reception as a sign that dealers believe in the market for smaller pickups, even as many skeptics question the company's strategy. The launch of the Colorado and Canyon is among the most closely watched in years for GM, and may serve as a bellwether of consumers' pickup preferences. GM is counting on the smaller trucks to give Chevy and GMC lineups that no rival can match: a midsize pickup, plus full-size offerings in the both light- and heavy-duty segments. GM last week announced EPA fuel economy ratings of 18 mpg city/26 highway/21 combined for models with the 3.6 liter V-6 engine, which should be the volume model. That should easily lead the segment, ahead of the 17 city/21 highway/19 combined rating of the Toyota Tacoma's V-6. Maheras is happy that his salespeople will be able to boast segment-leading fuel economy. He's not worried about comparisons to full-size trucks. "There are plenty of other factors the midsize buyer looks at," he says. "They'll like the smaller package and the design."
• From Nooga.com: Coordinators of an employee-created union called American Council of Employees at Volkswagen are accelerating their organizing efforts. Last week, Volkswagen worker Mike Burton, who led anti-United Auto Worker efforts during February's election, announced he was starting the new union at the local plant. The move is an effort to oppose Local 42, which is a local UAW chapter. Establishing Local 42 is another route for the UAW to be recognized by Volkswagen. On the topic of Burton's new efforts, UAW leaders told Reuters that American Council of Employees didn't have much chance at succeeding. According to the article:
Gary Casteel, secretary-treasurer of the UAW, told Reuters on Tuesday he does not see how Burton's union stands much of a chance because VW and the UAW "have a consensus" that the company will recognize Local 42. Casteel said it is up to VW whether it will recognize the new union if Burton is successful in creating one at the VW plant, which has about 1,500 hourly workers.
But American Council of Employees said via the new organization's website that UAW leaders continue to use the word "consensus," but the site notes that VW leaders haven't said anything about that. "Not once has VW acknowledged ANY relationship with the UAW," according to the site. "Curious how some twist misrepresentation until it looks like the truth." Burton said he has about 150 signatures now in support of American Council of Employees, and he needs to get 415. "We hope to announce in the next week or so that we are moving ahead with the blessing from over 30 percent of the hourly and the salaried employees," he said via the site. "That’s 30 percent each." After they do that, American Council of Employees leaders will petition the National Labor Relations Board to be recognized as an employee union, then they will ask Volkswagen officials to be "recognized and voted on by Chattanooga VW employees," according to the site.
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
State of the Union September 3, 2014
September 3, 2014 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
• Teams still needed: The Annual Women’s Committee benefit golf tournament will be held this Saturday, Sept. 6 at Country Lake golf course in Warrenton. It is a 3-person scramble with a 1:30 pm shotgun start. Cost is $210 per team/$70 per person and includes prize money for the first 3 places in 3 flights, longest drive and closest to the pin contests as well as Food and beer that will be served after the tournament. Entry forms are available at the entrances. Proceeds will benefit the St. Louis Crisis Nursery which serves children and families of St. Charles, Warren, Lincoln, Pike, Franklin and Jefferson Counties as well as St. Louis City and County and East St. Louis.
• September is going to be a busy month for Local 2250 activities. In addition to this weekend’s golf tournament, next Saturday (9/13) is the annual Union Picnic at the Union Hall. The following Saturday (9/20) is the second work day for the Habitat for Humanity home in St. Peters. And Saturday, the 27th, is the SOS ride. More details for all the activities will be forthcoming.
• From the Benefits Department: If you are 60 or older, you can receive free shingles shots. We recommend that you get this from your doctor, but if you can’t there is reimbursement for shots from a pharmacy. See your benefits representative if you have any questions.
• From Automotive News: Chevrolet dealers requested nearly 30,000 Colorado pickups in the month since General Motors began taking orders for the all-new midsize truck -- about five times more than the company had forecast. "The dealers' enthusiasm for the Colorado is off the charts," Chevrolet U.S. chief Brian Sweeney told Automotive News on Monday. GM began taking orders for the 2015 Colorado in early August. The pickup, which is being built at GM's assembly plant in Wentzville, Mo., is expected to reach showrooms in October or early November. The launch of the Colorado and its sibling, the GMC Canyon, is among the most closely watched in years for GM. Skeptics question whether the demand is there to warrant a new generation of the pickups, which were phased out in 2012. GM is counting on the smaller trucks to give Chevy and GMC truck lineups that no rival can match: Offerings in the heavy-duty and light-duty segments with the Silverado and Sierra, and the midsize Colorado and Canyon. Ford dropped its Ranger small pickup in the U.S. in 2011, while Ram discontinued the Dakota that same year. The surge in early orders is "a sign that the dealers really believe in this product," said Sweeney, who oversees sales and marketing for Chevy in the U.S. Forecasts for combined sales of the Colorado and Canyon next year, by IHS Automotive, AutoPacific and LMC Automotive, range from 73,000 to 91,400 trucks. In comparison, GM sold 664,803 Silverados and GMC Sierras last year.
General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) dealers delivered 272,423 vehicles in the United States in August, led by an 18 percent increase in truck sales compared to a year ago, a 10 percent increase in GMC deliveries and a 30 percent increase in commercial sales.
Total deliveries were down 1 percent compared with last August, which was GM’s best sales month of 2013. Retail deliveries, which are sales to individual consumers, declined 4 percent. Fleet deliveries were up 9 percent compared with a year ago.
On a selling day adjusted basis, GM’s total sales were up 2 percent, with retail sales essentially equal to a year ago and fleet up 13 percent.
Incentive spending as a percentage of average transaction prices (ATPs) was 10.4 percent, the lowest of all domestic automakers by a significant margin, according to J.D. Power PIN estimates. GM spending was down a full percentage point compared with both August 2013 and July 2014. “Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac had an outstanding month with trucks. Cars and crossovers like the Buick Encore and GMC Acadia, and the Chevrolet Sonic, Cruze and Traverse, were also strong,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of Sales Operations.
“We see a strong fall selling season ahead for GM and the industry, which sets the stage for the launches of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. Car-buying fundamentals like employment and energy prices are in good shape, consumer confidence has reached a post-recession high and business investment is increasing.”
Nearly 28,000 dealer orders have been placed for the Chevrolet Colorado, along with 14,000 orders for the GMC Canyon, which both began production this week and arrive in showrooms this fall. Chevrolet and GMC will soon be the only brands offering mid-size pickups, as well as light- and heavy-duty full-size pickups.
Light vehicle sales for the year are now expected to be near the high-end of GM’s full-year outlook set in January, which was for 16.0 million – 16.5 million units.
August Sales Highlights (vs. 2013 except as noted)
• GM’s ATPs in August were the highest in company history at about $33,750, according to PIN. ATPs were up $500 per unit compared with July, and they were up about $2,900 from a year ago. GM’s gains in the commercial segment were driven by pickup and van sales, which were up 23 percent and 19 percent, respectively. Sales to rental customers were up about 3 percent. Sales to government customers were up about 14 percent. GM’s fleet mix in August was 22 percent. Calendar year to date, GM’s fleet mix is 25 percent
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
• Teams still needed: The Annual Women’s Committee benefit golf tournament will be held this Saturday, Sept. 6 at Country Lake golf course in Warrenton. It is a 3-person scramble with a 1:30 pm shotgun start. Cost is $210 per team/$70 per person and includes prize money for the first 3 places in 3 flights, longest drive and closest to the pin contests as well as Food and beer that will be served after the tournament. Entry forms are available at the entrances. Proceeds will benefit the St. Louis Crisis Nursery which serves children and families of St. Charles, Warren, Lincoln, Pike, Franklin and Jefferson Counties as well as St. Louis City and County and East St. Louis.
• September is going to be a busy month for Local 2250 activities. In addition to this weekend’s golf tournament, next Saturday (9/13) is the annual Union Picnic at the Union Hall. The following Saturday (9/20) is the second work day for the Habitat for Humanity home in St. Peters. And Saturday, the 27th, is the SOS ride. More details for all the activities will be forthcoming.
• From the Benefits Department: If you are 60 or older, you can receive free shingles shots. We recommend that you get this from your doctor, but if you can’t there is reimbursement for shots from a pharmacy. See your benefits representative if you have any questions.
• From Automotive News: Chevrolet dealers requested nearly 30,000 Colorado pickups in the month since General Motors began taking orders for the all-new midsize truck -- about five times more than the company had forecast. "The dealers' enthusiasm for the Colorado is off the charts," Chevrolet U.S. chief Brian Sweeney told Automotive News on Monday. GM began taking orders for the 2015 Colorado in early August. The pickup, which is being built at GM's assembly plant in Wentzville, Mo., is expected to reach showrooms in October or early November. The launch of the Colorado and its sibling, the GMC Canyon, is among the most closely watched in years for GM. Skeptics question whether the demand is there to warrant a new generation of the pickups, which were phased out in 2012. GM is counting on the smaller trucks to give Chevy and GMC truck lineups that no rival can match: Offerings in the heavy-duty and light-duty segments with the Silverado and Sierra, and the midsize Colorado and Canyon. Ford dropped its Ranger small pickup in the U.S. in 2011, while Ram discontinued the Dakota that same year. The surge in early orders is "a sign that the dealers really believe in this product," said Sweeney, who oversees sales and marketing for Chevy in the U.S. Forecasts for combined sales of the Colorado and Canyon next year, by IHS Automotive, AutoPacific and LMC Automotive, range from 73,000 to 91,400 trucks. In comparison, GM sold 664,803 Silverados and GMC Sierras last year.
General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) dealers delivered 272,423 vehicles in the United States in August, led by an 18 percent increase in truck sales compared to a year ago, a 10 percent increase in GMC deliveries and a 30 percent increase in commercial sales.
Total deliveries were down 1 percent compared with last August, which was GM’s best sales month of 2013. Retail deliveries, which are sales to individual consumers, declined 4 percent. Fleet deliveries were up 9 percent compared with a year ago.
On a selling day adjusted basis, GM’s total sales were up 2 percent, with retail sales essentially equal to a year ago and fleet up 13 percent.
Incentive spending as a percentage of average transaction prices (ATPs) was 10.4 percent, the lowest of all domestic automakers by a significant margin, according to J.D. Power PIN estimates. GM spending was down a full percentage point compared with both August 2013 and July 2014. “Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac had an outstanding month with trucks. Cars and crossovers like the Buick Encore and GMC Acadia, and the Chevrolet Sonic, Cruze and Traverse, were also strong,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of Sales Operations.
“We see a strong fall selling season ahead for GM and the industry, which sets the stage for the launches of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. Car-buying fundamentals like employment and energy prices are in good shape, consumer confidence has reached a post-recession high and business investment is increasing.”
Nearly 28,000 dealer orders have been placed for the Chevrolet Colorado, along with 14,000 orders for the GMC Canyon, which both began production this week and arrive in showrooms this fall. Chevrolet and GMC will soon be the only brands offering mid-size pickups, as well as light- and heavy-duty full-size pickups.
Light vehicle sales for the year are now expected to be near the high-end of GM’s full-year outlook set in January, which was for 16.0 million – 16.5 million units.
August Sales Highlights (vs. 2013 except as noted)
- Sales of Chevrolet and GMC large SUVs were up 38 percent.
- Cadillac Escalade deliveries increased 64 percent, for the vehicle line’s best August since 2007.
- Chevrolet Silverado deliveries were up 13 percent and GMC Sierra sales were up 10 percent, and ATPs improved from July, according to PIN. This was the best August for GM pickups since 2008.
- The Chevrolet Express van had its best August sales since 2007, with deliveries up 23 percent. The GMC Savana saw a 70 percent increase. Total van sales were 12,069.
- Chevrolet Sonic deliveries were up 13 percent for the vehicle’s best August ever.
- Sales of the Buick Encore small crossover were up 13 percent and Regal deliveries were up 29 percent.
- In the medium crossover segment, sales of the Chevrolet Traverse were up 11 percent and GMC Acadia deliveries were up 5 percent.
- Retail deliveries of the Chevrolet Cruze increased 23 percent and Camaro retail deliveries were up 2 percent.
• GM’s ATPs in August were the highest in company history at about $33,750, according to PIN. ATPs were up $500 per unit compared with July, and they were up about $2,900 from a year ago. GM’s gains in the commercial segment were driven by pickup and van sales, which were up 23 percent and 19 percent, respectively. Sales to rental customers were up about 3 percent. Sales to government customers were up about 14 percent. GM’s fleet mix in August was 22 percent. Calendar year to date, GM’s fleet mix is 25 percent
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
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