General Motors Q4 2020 earnings release

[rperez817]

GM Reports Strong 2020 Full-Year and Fourth-Quarter Results

 

Statement from CEO Mary Barra.

"GM’s 2020 performance was remarkable by any measure, and even more so in a year when a global pandemic caused companies around the world – including GM – to temporarily suspend manufacturing operations to keep employees safe. Our dealers also took extraordinary steps to protect our customers, such as providing seamless online shopping, purchasing and delivery solutions.

Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac were especially well prepared when demand recovered faster than expected – Chevrolet and GMC with their outstanding full-size and midsize pickups; and all four brands with a mix of new small- and full-size SUVs, which we launched on time despite the pandemic.

These products helped drive our largest year-over-year gain in total U.S. market share since 1990. Just as important, their profits are helping us create a new chapter for GM that is electric, connected, sustainable, inclusive and growth-oriented.

We are excited that our commitment to an all-electric future is changing how people think about GM. We’ve gone from being good stewards of a successful traditional automaker to being champions of growth."

 

Highlights.

 

Full-year 2020 highlights:

• EPS-diluted of $4.33, and EPS-diluted-adjusted of $4.90*
• Full-year income of $6.4 billion, and EBIT-adjusted of $9.7 billion
• Full-year EBIT-adjusted margin of 7.9 percent
• Full-year automotive operating cash flow of $7.5 billion, and adjusted automotive free cash flow of
  $2.6 billion
• GM North America full-year EBIT-adjusted of $9.1 billion, and EBIT-adjusted margin of 9.4 percent
• GM International full-year EBIT-adjusted of $(0.5) billion
  • China Equity Income of $0.5 billion
• Cruise full-year EBIT-adjusted of $(0.9) billion
• GM Financial reported record full-year EBT-adjusted of $2.7 billion

 

Fourth-quarter 2020 highlights:

• EPS-diluted of $1.93, and EPS-diluted-adjusted of $1.93**
• Fourth-quarter income of $2.8 billion, and EBIT-adjusted of $3.7 billion
• Fourth-quarter EBIT-adjusted margin of 9.9 percent
• Fourth-quarter automotive operating cash flow of $5.2 billion, and adjusted automotive free cash flow of $3.4 billion
• GM North America fourth-quarter EBIT-adjusted of $2.6 billion, and EBIT-adjusted margin of 8.7 percent
• GM International fourth-quarter EBIT-adjusted of $0.3 billion
  • China Equity Income of $0.2 billion
• Cruise fourth-quarter EBIT-adjusted of $(0.3) billion
• GM Financial reported record fourth-quarter EBT-adjusted of $1.0 billion

[FR739]

Wow.  That’s extremely impressive.  GM is sure doing something right. Clearly the trucks, while having bold designs, were a huge factor in these results.  At this point their trucks can only be described as a smashing success.  
 

With the new full size SUVs hitting the road and being very very good, I suspect this momentum will continue for 2021.  Proof that the big vehicles with internal combustion engines are the path forward.  People clearly want them in droves.  
 

 

[rperez817]

44 minutes ago, FR739 said:

With the new full size SUVs hitting the road and being very very good, I suspect this momentum will continue for 2021.  Proof that the big vehicles with internal combustion engines are the path forward.  People clearly want them in droves.  

 

Yes sir FR739, the GM assembly plant in Arlington, Texas where the full size SUVs are made is running full tilt. Demand for these SUV is still high relative to supply.

 

For the next product development cycle of GM's full size SUV, they'll have to draw upon the excellent reputation of these models and transition them to BEV. If they make that transition quickly and efficiently, GM will have it made for years, maybe decades to follow.

Edited February 12, 2021 by rperez817

[snooter]

My brother just traded in the escalade for a yukon...there truck line is more pleasing to the eye than f150...ford has no balls when it comes to taking risk with design....to dam dependant on f150 sales and it is evident

[twintornados]

13 hours ago, snooter said:

My brother just traded in the escalade for a yukon...there truck line is more pleasing to the eye than f150...ford has no balls when it comes to taking risk with design....to dam dependant on f150 sales and it is evident

but did he take the emissions equipment off it

[grbeck]

On 2/14/2021 at 7:26 PM, snooter said:

My brother just traded in the escalade for a yukon...there truck line is more pleasing to the eye than f150...ford has no balls when it comes to taking risk with design....to dam dependant on f150 sales and it is evident

 

GM's large pickups and SUVs are certainly fine from a mechanical standpoint, but the Silverado or Sierra are not better-looking than an F-series. The heavy-duty Silverado, in particular, looks like the Mammoth Car from the old Speed Racer cartoons. 

 

GM's new big SUVs are a step backward in the styling department, in my opinion. The Expedition and Navigator are more attractive than any GM SUV. 

[atomcat68]

3 hours ago, grbeck said:

 

GM's large pickups and SUVs are certainly fine from a mechanical standpoint, but the Silverado or Sierra are not better-looking than an F-series. The heavy-duty Silverado, in particular, looks like the Mammoth Car from the old Speed Racer cartoons. 

 

GM's new big SUVs are a step backward in the styling department, in my opinion. The Expedition and Navigator are more attractive than any GM SUV. 

Agree about the SUV style. I liked the previous generation better with the character line that went from front to back. It accented the vehicle's length and de emphasized the height, taking the visual bulk out of them and making them look more athletic.

[CKNSLS]

4 hours ago, grbeck said:

 

GM's large pickups and SUVs are certainly fine from a mechanical standpoint, but the Silverado or Sierra are not better-looking than an F-series. The heavy-duty Silverado, in particular, looks like the Mammoth Car from the old Speed Racer cartoons. 

 

GM's new big SUVs are a step backward in the styling department, in my opinion. The Expedition and Navigator are more attractive than any GM SUV. 

 

The refresh on the F150 is certainly a conservative step. It's enough for the Ford loyalist but any conquest sales are going to come from those who want a generator built in to their truck to power tools, their RV, etc.  I don't think there is enough of those buyers to make the numbers spike. As someone who rushed out to buy a 2018 Silverado-when I saw pics of the 2019's that I thought were horrible, it turns out that I was wrong about the polarizing front end of the truck-and the sales numbers show it.

 

BTW-I just received a piece of mail today that is apparently a factory program-that says there is a $4,250.00 cash allowance on the Silverado if I take delivery by 3/01/2021.

 

They are going to sell as many of their SUVs as they always have.

Edited February 19, 2021 by CKNSLS
more info

[akirby]

16 minutes ago, CKNSLS said:

 

The refresh on the F150 is certainly a conservative step. It's enough for the Ford loyalist but any conquest sales are going to come from those who want a generator built in to their truck to power tools, their RV, etc.  I don't think there is enough of those buyers

You don’t think the previous F150s got conquest sales?  Of course they did and will continue to do so.  But there are brand loyalists who won’t buy a Ford no matter what.  There are people who buy the cheapest ones.  Anybody not buying strictly on price or brand loyalism will seriously consider F150.
 

Where does Ford fall short against the competition?  Nowhere.  They are best in class or at least equal in just about every category that matters. 
 

 

[CKNSLS]

I think the numbers show that RAM got the conquest sales. 

Edited February 19, 2021 by CKNSLS

[akirby]

2 hours ago, CKNSLS said:

I think the numbers show that RAM got the conquest sales. 

The numbers show Ford lost a couple months sales due to model changeover.

[rmc523]

20 hours ago, atomcat68 said:

Agree about the SUV style. I liked the previous generation better with the character line that went from front to back. It accented the vehicle's length and de emphasized the height, taking the visual bulk out of them and making them look more athletic.

 

Definitely agree here.  In addition to the obnoxiously tall hood that they brought over from the trucks (which I hate), they also pulled the design elements up to the top of the body/beltline, which makes them look even taller.  Guess they wanted that imposing look.

[rperez817]

19 hours ago, CKNSLS said:

I think the numbers show that RAM got the conquest sales. 

 

You are correct CKNSLS sir. According to U.S. registration data from IHS Markit, Ram is the only pickup truck brand that had significant success attracting "conquest" customers over the 2010-2019 period.

[FR739]

On 2/19/2021 at 6:11 PM, CKNSLS said:

I think the numbers show that RAM got the conquest sales. 

Yeah they were the big winner with the 2019 redesign.  There has never been that great of a leap between generations of US trucks ever.  The crazy part is that the previous one was very good as well.  
 

I think Ram does well because focus on what matters.  Ride, interior, powertrain, etc.  A lot of the reviews I’ve read about the new f150 say that Ram still has a clear advantage in the interior. 
 

Having ridden in all of the new trucks it’s immediately clear the ride is superior too.  I think that’s a testament to Ram understanding the truck market better than anyone.  They know the vast majority of trucks are used as minivans to shuttle people around and thus the emphasis on interior quality and ride.  
 

A good friend of mine bought a Silverado over the summer and when compared to the Ram it comes up very short.  But it’s still a great truck and has a stout powertrain.  He’s even pleased with having the 8-speed vs the problematic 10-speed.  He’s a Ford guy at heart but between the quality problems and the pricing, he got a much better deal with nicer options than a comparable f150. I think that’s why GM did so well with their trucks last year.  

[akirby]

43 minutes ago, FR739 said:

Yeah they were the big winner with the 2019 redesign.  There has never been that great of a leap between generations of US trucks ever.  The crazy part is that the previous one was very good as well.  
 

I think Ram does well because focus on what matters.  Ride, interior, powertrain, etc.  A lot of the reviews I’ve read about the new f150 say that Ram still has a clear advantage in the interior. 
 

Having ridden in all of the new trucks it’s immediately clear the ride is superior too.  I think that’s a testament to Ram understanding the truck market better than anyone.  They know the vast majority of trucks are used as minivans to shuttle people around and thus the emphasis on interior quality and ride.  
 

A good friend of mine bought a Silverado over the summer and when compared to the Ram it comes up very short.  But it’s still a great truck and has a stout powertrain.  He’s even pleased with having the 8-speed vs the problematic 10-speed.  He’s a Ford guy at heart but between the quality problems and the pricing, he got a much better deal with nicer options than a comparable f150. I think that’s why GM did so well with their trucks last year.  

Ram did make inroads a few years ago with nicer interior and slightly better ride quality.  But don’t kid yourself - price still makes a huge difference to those who aren’t brand loyal.  And Ford doesn’t give away their Lariat and higher trims.

[92merc]

2 hours ago, FR739 said:

He’s even pleased with having the 8-speed vs the problematic 10-speed. 

 

What problems are these?  Mechanically, it's the same 10 speed as in the F150.  And I've heard of no major problems in the Ford.

[rperez817]

1 hour ago, akirby said:

Ram did make inroads a few years ago with nicer interior and slightly better ride quality. 

 

Ram 1500's ride quality isn't only slightly better, it is much better than other full size LD pickup trucks. Many professional reviewers have compared Ram 1500's ride to that of luxury cars. 

[rperez817]

12 minutes ago, 92merc said:

What problems are these?  Mechanically, it's the same 10 speed as in the F150.  And I've heard of no major problems in the Ford.

 

Mainly poor shift quality. The lawsuit Orndorff, et al., v. Ford Motor Company says "Ford knew or should have known about the alleged transmission problems that cause hard shifting, jerking, lunging and hesitation between gears."

 

Though the lawsuit pertains to the Ford version of the transmission (10L), some owners of GM vehicles with that company's version (10R) have reported similar issues.

[akirby]

7 minutes ago, rperez817 said:

 

Mainly poor shift quality. The lawsuit Orndorff, et al., v. Ford Motor Company says "Ford knew or should have known about the alleged transmission problems that cause hard shifting, jerking, lunging and hesitation between gears."

 

Though the lawsuit pertains to the Ford version of the transmission (10L), some owners of GM vehicles with that company's version (10R) have reported similar issues.

All that was fixed in the first couple of software updates.

[akirby]

18 minutes ago, rperez817 said:

 

Ram 1500's ride quality isn't only slightly better, it is much better than other full size LD pickup trucks. Many professional reviewers have compared Ram 1500's ride to that of luxury cars. 

The difference is noticeable side by side but the F150 ride quality is very good to start with.   Like 0-60 in 7.5 vs 7.0.  Seems like a huge difference on paper but almost meaningless in the real world.

[snooter]

F150 is a "kid hauler" along with other similar sized light duties...ram seized on the dynamics of what the light duties actually are used for and started marketing "ride comfort"...you have to be in f350 range before they can really pull any serious work duties..of course ford will sell a PS to the mass idiots with the f250 and i would like to know the marketing breakdowns....camper 3 times a year? -  (80mph on i90 in 40 miles cross winds and they will tell you its all safe yet beyond tow spec rating) and rest of time the light duty hauls the groceries but they feel superior because by gosh its a f250 with a PS...

[FR739]

7 hours ago, 92merc said:

 

What problems are these?  Mechanically, it's the same 10 speed as in the F150.  And I've heard of no major problems in the Ford.

The F150, Explorer and Ranger have all experienced recalls due to this transmission.  I don’t think GM has had near the issues but admittedly I’m not spending hours looking up every single issue with every single model.  Some speculate that issues with the transmission is why GM sticks with the 8-speed rather than going with the 10-speed across the board.  A lot of reviews have also stated that it’s not as good as the ZF 8-speed either which is understandable.  That trans is the best traditional transmission on sale today.  
 

 

[akirby]

2 hours ago, FR739 said:

The F150, Explorer and Ranger have all experienced recalls due to this transmission. 
 

 

Only 1 recall and that was for a loose clip on the transmission cable not the tranny itself.  Everything else was a TSB for new software which seems to have fixed almost all the problems.  Mine works fine.

[rperez817]

On 2/21/2021 at 6:08 PM, FR739 said:

A lot of reviews have also stated that it’s not as good as the ZF 8-speed either which is understandable.  That trans is the best traditional transmission on sale today.  

 

Completely agree FR739 sir, ZF 8HP is the gold standard for light duty vehicle longitudinal automatic transmissions. It's almost magical how smooth and responsive this transmission is. My old Jaguar XF had this transmission. Too bad neither GM nor Ford use it in any of their vehicles.

Edited March 11, 2021 by rperez817

[tbone]

I have unfortunately had issues with the 10 speed in my 2017 Raptor, which was the first application of the 10 speed tranny.  It sucks, but Ford has addressed the issues with my truck.  I chose to buy a truck with a brand new transmission, which in hindsight may not have been the best decision.  With that said, I love the transmission otherwise. It is smooth and builds power nicely.  Even though I have had problems, I wouldn’t hesitate having the same tranny now.  I have several family members and friends that have vehicles with this transmission and have had no issues.  
 

46 minutes ago, rperez817 said:

 

Completely agree FR739 sir, ZF 8HP is the gold standard for light duty vehicle longitudinal automatic transmissions. It's almost magical how smooth and responsive this transmission is. My old Jaguar XF had this transmission. Too bad neither GM nor Ford use it in any of their vehicles.

 

Is this the same 8 speed transmission you are talking about?

 

”General Motors has announced a new Customer Satisfaction Program for certain examples of the 2021 model year Chevy Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra1500 to replace the eight-speed automatic transmissions in the vehicles.”

 

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2021/03/gm-to-replace-eight-speed-transmissions-in-some-2021-chevy-silverado-gmc-sierra-units/amp/