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GM Studies Tesla’s Success, Looks for Ways to Innovate Faster
General Motors Co. has set up a small group to assess how the company's EV programs might be threatened by startup electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc., Bloomberg News reports.
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General Motors Co. has set up a small group to assess how the company's EV programs might be threatened by startup electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc., Bloomberg News reports.
In the first five months of 2013, Tesla's Model S EV outsold GM's Chevrolet Volt extended-range hybrid by 7,500 units to 7,200 units.
Volt sales have since pulled ahead. But GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky tells the news service that CEO Dan Akerson fears Tesla could become a "big disrupter" if GM doesn't pay attention to the tiny company's success.
The Tesla study team is part of Akerson's companywide push to accelerate innovation, according to Girsky. He notes that Akerson also has scrapped GM's "anything goes" research philosophy and is pushing to refocus its R&D on near-term breakthroughs that can be quickly commercialized.
Last year the company reduced spending on such efforts 9% to $7.4 billion. The company also replaced Chief Technology Officer Tom Stephens and R&D head Alan Taub. Last year their jobs were assumed by Jon Lauckner, who also heads the company's venture capital unit, GM Ventures.
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