GM CEO Mary Barra Brushes Off Merger Talks
DETROIT – General Motors CEO Mary Barra said the automaker has a comprehensive plan in place through the early part of the next decade, and a merger with a large, competing automaker does not appear to be part of that, reported MLive.
Speaking in a conference call Thursday morning to discuss the Detroit company's first quarter financial results, Barra was asked about Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne's remarks on the possibility of merging with a large automaker, such as GM or Ford Motor Co., and about general chatter on the need for consolidation in the industry.
Barra said the plan GM currently has in place includes "plenty of areas for efficiency," and that the company is already one of the top-tier, global OEMs. The company's plan includes several milestones to ensure it remains at the top.
"We're not going to entertain anything that's going to distract us from accomplishing that," Barra said.
Marchionne, who led Italian automaker Fiat SpA's merger with Chrysler Group, said in March during an interview with Bloomberg News in Geneva that he would be open to combining the company with one if its larger Detroit rivals.
He called a combination with GM or Ford "technically feasible," and said there's always banter to that effect, but added that there is still "nothing substantive."
At that time, both Ford and GM generally balked at the notion.
General Motors on Thursday reported net income of $945 million for the first quarter of 2015. That compares to net income of $108 million for the Detroit automaker in the comparable period one year ago.
The result came on revenues that dipped to $35.7 billion from $37.4 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Ford plans to report its first quarter results April 28, and FCA is set to do the same on April 29.
More Industry

World EV Adoption Set to Grow
A new report says the segment, despite recent setbacks in some regions, is poised for acceleration as many countries look to reduce pollution.
Read More →
Black Book: Weekly Market Update
Wholesale automotive auction business stayed steady last week as bidders encountered lower prices, analysts observed.
Read More →
Pricing Transparency Drives Purchase Consideration
An annual study by JD Power found that clear pricing matters to consumers on automaker websites, so much so that it increases their purchase consideration.
Read More →
Black Book: Weekly Market Update
Used-vehicle market depreciation was the prevailing story in the wholesale market last week.
Read More →
Smaller Is Looking Better
A growing number of Americans in the market for a new vehicle are opting for more affordable options, not waiting for market stability to bite the bullet.
Read More →
U.S. EV Market Slowly Stabilizes
U.S. electric-vehicle interest is slowly stabilizing since a major dip in sales after last year's end of the federal EV tax credit, and hybrids remain the leading electrified power train.
Read More →
Global EV Market Entering New Phase
Automakers are making investments to lower battery costs and optimize production to meet changing consumer needs.
Read More →
Black Book Weekly Market Update
The holiday weekend, not surprisingly, put a drag on wholesale automotive activity last week, analysts observed.
Read More →
Auto Affordability in Context
Cox Automotive points out the complex circumstances that have led to eye-popping vehicle prices.
Read More →
Black Book: Weekly Market Update
Automotive auction inventory increased last week, giving choosy bidders even more leeway.
Read More →