INFO : General Motors to Shed More Workers by Year's End

General Motors has already cut its U.S. hourly workforce by 21 percent and salaried staff by 18 percent under its turnaround plan, but if its original goals are still in place, another 10,500 jobs will be eliminated by January.

GM CEO Fritz Henderson has said that the company has made progress under the turnaround plan, but needs to keep its foot on the gas. It's unclear exactly how many jobs will be cut, but most are likely to be hourly positions. If expectations are correct, roughly 350 of the 1300 white-collar workers scheduled for layoff will be retiring this year.

GM plans to complete most of its restructuring before the year is up, so it can begin 2010 with a clean slate. The accounting department will not see any layoffs, due to the flurry of activity involved in preparing the company for its first public offering, expected in 2010.

Trying to focus on the positive, Henderson claimed that the company was exceeding its own expectations for sales since emerging from bankruptcy. Equinox sales, for instance, jumped 94 percent over last year, largely thanks to a new, fuel-efficient model.

Source: The Detroit Free Press

Profile : Chevrolet Company

Chevrolet was founded in 1911 by GM founder William C. Durant and race car driver Louis Chevrolet. Durant, who had been ousted by GM earlier, would later return to the company and would bring the Chevy brand with him.

Chevrolet is General Motor's largest brand with more than 20 vehicles covering such segments from compacts (Aveo), sedans (Impala, Malibu), roadsters (Corvette), to pickups and SUVs (e.g., Silverado and Equinox, respectively).


The brand has many famous (and infamous) models because of its long history and numerous vehicles: Blazer (replaced by TrailBlazer); Camaro (returns in 2009); Cavalier (replaced by the Cobalt); Corvair (discontinued); and the El Camino (discontinued).

Other GM brands such as Pontiac and Saab routinely receive rebadged versions of Chevrolet vehicles. The Pontiac Torrent SUV, for example, is based off the Chevrolet Equinox while the Saab 9-7X is based on the TrailBlazer.

Chevrolet will be introducing a new Malibu in model year 2008. The Chevrolet Volt, a electric car concept which debut this year, has renewed interest in the brand as well.

2010 Chevrolet Aveo Specifications

• 1,598 cc 1.6 liters in-line 4 front engine with 79.0 mm bore, 81.5 mm stroke, 10.8 compression ratio, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder LXV
• Unleaded fuel 87
• Multi-point injection fuel system
• 11.0 gallon main unleaded fuel tank 9.2
• Power: 81 kW , 108 HP SAE @ 6,400 rpm; 105 ft lb , 142 Nm @ 3,800 rpm