GM Keeping Close Eye On Tesla Motors
GM CEO Dan Akerson is worried about upstart electric carmaker Tesla Motors. He’s so worried that Tesla’s success in the electric market is going to hurt GM that he put together an internal team to study Tesla and make sure the 104-year old behemoth doesn’t get left behind.
GM has a different attitude than the pre-2009 era, according to GM vice chairman Steve Girsky who spoke candidly in an interview with Bloomberg TV, confirming the news. “In the old days, they would’ve said, It’s a bunch of laptop batteries and don’t worry about it and blah, blah, blah.”
The move comes as Tesla is expanding its service and repair centers in Europe prior to introducing the widely praised Model S there. Tesla is opening dealers in London, Brussels, Amsterdam along with service centers in Frankfurt, Vienna and Hamburg. The Tesla Model S was Motor Trend’s 2012 Car of the Year winner.
While Chevy Volt sales continue to miss their quarterly goals, Tesla Model S sales have exceeded theirs, while outselling the Volt as well. The fact is even more startling due to the Model S US price tag of $69,900, nearly double the Volt’s $31,645.
