James Bell, Head of General Motors Consumer Affairs

Well it's an uneventful day on Wall Street the Dow down fifteen points NASDAQ off one S&T flat. Ten year treasury note yielding 220 gold rebounding from yesterday's fifty dollar -- loss it's up seventeen dollars an ounce at 1629. And oil prices. Up 28 cents a barrel at 10175. Our next guest is James Bell he's ahead of consumer affairs and General Motors and he's down at the New York auto show James are you don't today. I'm doing a lot -- a -- could do better. Yeah no much thing that the much more fun than that how media how many different cars are gonna be on display the auto show this year. Lima count let me get up here now. -- joke. And especially here in order depressed state it's not quite as many but now that -- for the public it yeah it started -- Good hey you who's got the most unique car at the show from your perspective. Well there is flying car. And that's gonna have to be automatic winner it's especially -- Or million dollars but it under the -- or yesterday. And as a -- -- an -- yet. So that's probably what it but I think that most -- trend that he. To return to dance. You know for many years American mark was awful you need to pickup truck. -- you that it daily drivers it made no sense to me and that's really is here in New York the standard that is being in the curious. Silent again. If -- of this I think. Of the things that most people. Would what other fuel efficient vehicles are out there you guys have the Chevy Volt Toyota's got the Prius Nissan's got the least that the Nissan -- anything new that you can tell us about. Well you know you're going to be crime it is one of these fish story here that are administered related Hala. Is a a classic old side you know -- passenger or or Americans there in every word. And the kind of followed kind of more into the oval rental car was and if people really excited patents owned. I'm standing at the Apollo right now -- -- -- tell you it the long lead in popular scene it looks like it's hung around the Chevrolet Camaro quite a bit. If -- were gathered in Jimerson. And but where it is your point about who it is -- it is also. -- 35 miles per gallon. What equipped with our justice it's. Which is basically like electric solar charger and can help along you. -- -- builders. Mode you know here -- -- give -- big bite out here curious if there are relate those you know the portable and get up to now. What kind of interest in getting in the Chevy Volt that's -- your big product launch a late in 2011. How's it going. All the all going great I mean there's little out of pocket media about the fact that. Haven't met our expectations but that's absolutely not true. As a whole is I think -- the -- is the first batter in the first inning long baseball game. And so it's going to be those vehicles or get it back here that's where all can't. But it is you know -- people and we're not saying it's going to be. Right car for everybody but the technology that in that car is definitely gonna put way to vehicles very near future. So when you look at that -- how many volts do you think you'll sell in 2012. What we're not sure about Kennedy were averaging about -- -- right now so that that's going very well it's ramping up I mean you. We've got basically after -- that is -- -- all across the country yet. They'll just do it. Many markets to build a specific market. So what comes you know that national availability. And it has its people by their lineup again. Course the real attractive mobile that -- that basically never going to get it again it's still quite. We guys disappointed in your auto sales numbers for last month the I I looked at the report I was a little down on what. How do you guys feel about it GM. I -- I mean what what what is that there's it still has a demand that is feeling a lot of details that has cooled down its people have got vehicle what -- born. But that it would and it got done and we think credit market. So we're -- -- course summit here in fact we've raised our estimate Bedard is he's going to break over fourteen point -- million now. You know I was. -- -- a certain to be closer to fourteen so -- it looked like it immediately get here not just the General Motors but for the entire industry. Are you guys don't in the truck wars I -- you go head to head with Chrysler and Toyota now has pretty good trucks. Ford has is it's like delay has tried to lay claim to the truck market are you guys doing it. Well we're and he mentioned that from the marketing perspective we're right ability in the Chevy -- in the field we have a product. But I think is -- -- is that we've got the only -- pickup truck coming out later this year fact that these these laws around. September during this Texas. They better. And this is gonna be not just an evolution of the current. Real. Not only with respect itself -- technology's fault that -- in the very. You know proper truck with proper -- -- -- it looked good it is great to. What kind of efficiencies will you get with that. What they'll they get about the parking available but you have to think about the fact that by the year twenty to seeing. Everybody into the interview cafe standards 35 point five miles per hour. So we looked a lot picked up their got to contribute at all the that numbers so you can expect little what is great about them back. Give anything common in the sub compact that that we've been -- yet if it's you know more fuel efficient but not quite -- expense I think part of the resistance on the -- Is that it's an expensive vehicle even with the tax credit. It's an expensive -- to -- out by you gonna come out with anything it's fuel efficient and cheap. Well purely -- would have been up about a year has broken they'll record month to month and you know it it's done very well indeed you know forty Q Margaret gallon crude. In the in the troop levels it noted it is so. We've got the sonic which they're not built for a couple of -- -- -- doing very well with a ball one point four liter Turbo charging tickets. Over 35 miles a gallon. And a car that's been seen but it not yet if you're related to summer. Whichever they are. Which is more of a city car all or important vehicle that can have a or call one point two liter four cylinder engine. I think if from my perspective it really existing -- mr. delay and the -- -- are probably worked together very well the last couple years. And and -- got a fleet of small cars that are probably get is really shake up -- import they play. How would how much is the spark gonna cost. Entry level right that is going to be about 121000. And then all the way up to about being politically loaded -- That's gonna sell the idea of a spark it with the mileage on that 4050 miles a gallon. I have no idea -- -- -- out yet but a bit and packed it's -- what was -- liter four cylinder engine and it's give away much. We can expect to see if it never goes back. Yeah I have motorcycles -- bigger engines and that if if if -- it what about GM you guys used -- nine GM AC's sputtered off its -- financial now. Are they still doing your financing for you do you have a new financing arm for your vehicles. Got a couple that the financing arm that depending on the the credit risk is well I've got. Still he's the network of allies. But no they they are not owned by similar fact there's system that discussion that the government would like GM -- Just buyback ally. That there there's no Putin that. But at this point we've got a nice -- Different financing arm that again as I mentioned earlier start to open up they're there are a little bit -- These people back in your car. Very good put James thanks very much -- time sure appreciate it. That's James Bell he's head of consumer affairs -- General Motors reporting to us from the new York city car show -- auto -- I guess they call.