GM, the new GM has two major announcements in the last couple of days which has huge implications for not only this car manufacture but the automotive industry.
First GM announced its going to start selling new cars on eBay.com with “Buy It Now Pricing” and also allow people to “make offers” on the new cars.
GM is rolling this out, testing selling new cars on eBay with 250 dealers in California, by initially listing 20,000 new cars.
Can the Internet save GM?
Second, GM announced today, that they expected their new model, the Chevy Volt, will get a rating of 230 miles a gallon, when it goes on sale in 2010.
Considering the average car is driven just 12,000 miles a year, you could conceivably get by with just 50 gallons of gas a year to power your Volt.
Both are potentially huge game changers.
Why should you care?
Well if your a US citizen you own part of GM.
GM is owned 60% by the US government.
If you are Canadian, you also has a vested interest in GM, as Canada owns 11% of the car maker.
As far as domains go, one thing for sure, GM isn’t going to be able to apply for their own TLD as .GM, is already in use as the country code of Gambia.
GM = Government Motors
first the government give them billions of dollars. then they file for bankruptcy.
then they get rid of a lot of dealership and send thousands to collect unemployment and then the government buy the company…
change.
Car dealers have been selling cars on eBay for years. I don’t think the results will be drastically different because GM is selling them directly vs their dealers. It’s a big shift in philosophy for a big manufacturer to do that and I appreciate where you’re going with that but I doubt the bottom line gets changed much.
230MPG, on the other hand, is a huge game changer. Cars have been essentially the same for the last 100 years. Finally, they are evolving.
I’d have to say I’m a bigger fan of the Volt, since it’s a PHEV (Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicle)… a real Game changer indeed… but i may be a little biased on that one 🙂
I’ve sold a ton of cars, motorcycles, trucks, and even 18 wheelers on through the eBay Partner Network.
The commissions are paltry though on those kinds of purchases……not sure why.
For example, sell a $25,000 car and get $70 commission….that kind of thing.
I wonder what kind of deal GM worked out with them? 🙂