Electric Car Company, Says Yoda to G.M.

I was sitting around thinking about what I would do if I ran General Motors and faced bankruptcy and had to come up with a plan. (Actually, I was sitting around alternately watching tv, playing poker, eating cake, texting, walking out to the soda machine, eating chicken on white rice, and wishing I hadn't given a bag of cookies away to a visitor earlier... and G.M. kind of slipped into the thought stream). 

Ultimately getting the financials sorted out with bondholders is the difficulty, while also obtaining the right sort of concessions on healthcare obligations and benefits (from the unions) 

G.M. won't be bold since they have had several eons to do something different and opted otherwise. Their announcement on Monday should be interesting, if somewhat "been there, heard something like that before."

What I would do? I would devote probably 70% of production to electric cars. The remainder would be targeted toward hybrids and high mileage vehicles. Maybe five to seven models spread over three or four brands. 

We would use the existing (or remaining) dealerships to become our "charging stations" where drivers could get their fillups. I would cut deals with Costco, Walmart and maybe McDonalds to offer some sort of electric gas depot on their properties. 

And I would price a few of the cars cheap enough to attract new drivers.  

Moving completely toward the new technologies would be the type of niche that could make G.M. the Apple Ipod of car companies.  They really have to do something unique and create branding that will turn the cars into must have items (while offering true value in cost or construction or features).