When it comes to foresight, General Motors is proving itself to be a leading Seer of Automotives. In a year when other Titans of the industry saw losses, the company came out ahead, and are projected to grow stronger, largely in part to some smart moves they’ve been making. Some of these come as relatively new developments, others are years in the making, but they all show a shrewdness that foretells continued growth.
Perhaps one of the most talked about transformation is the widely publicized restructuring General Motors announced late last year. The move has already led to hundreds of hourly wage employees being relocated as factories are repurposed or closed, allowing for expansion of the more popular SUV, truck and crossover models and the shunting of poorly selling sedans. When announced in November, the plan was presented as a way to streamline operations to help the company take advantage of an evolving market and world.
One of the larger parts of that evolution is the emergence of new technology and legislature, all pointing towards an electric and autonomous future. To that end, GM has invested a great deal in both sectors. At the end of 2018, GM publicized new appointments for Cruise leadership, with CEO Mary Bara explaining that the choice demonstrated their “commitment to transforming mobility through the safe deployment of self-driving technology and move us closer to our vision for a future with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion.” Towards that last goal, GM has supported National Zero Emissions Vehicles (NZEV) initiatives and announced exciting EV prospects for their Cadilac brand.
Shifting policy to address changing driver preferences and environmental trends is not the only way GM is planning for the future. Amazon is rising to influence shopping and shipping trends. Recently, General Motors’ Buick joined forces with Amazon to work toward solving porch pirate woes. Using Amazon’s existing Key-In technology which allows deliveries to be made in homes, compatible vehicle brand owners can also receive Amazon packages directly in-vehicle. “Partnering with Amazon to leverage our embedded in-vehicle connectivity gives Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac owners the option to conveniently receive deliveries inside their vehicle parked at home, work or near other locations in their Amazon address book,” said Alan Batey, President, General Motors North America in a statement. “This is another example of how we provide customers with technologies that add value and enhance the ownership experience.”
Looking at the overall picture presented, what emerges is a clear strategy to meet and dominate whatever the coming decades have to throw at the industry. General Motors is transforming itself into a machine capable of agile reconfiguration so that it can respond quickly and profitably to all new industry and global courses. Under its unique, diverse set of corporate officers with backgrounds in tech, national security, and other important pies, GM stands poised to take lead moving forward. The company stands as an example of successful 21st-century management while other auto companies scramble to regroup after a rough year.
