BusinessWeek Head Honcho: Bruce, make sure you hit your article quota for week. It’s Friday and you need to one more. Remember to be provocative, bold, and buzz worthy. Don’t worry about learning about the industry or checking your facts.
Bruce: No problem!
From the article: “What was needed was an innovation strategy of growth that quickly generated electric, hybrid, flex-fuel and other models that better fit into a fast-changing market place.”
Did Bruce bother learning about the ENVI division?
“The creation of Envi allows us to focus on the development of a new generation of environmentally responsible Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles,” said Robert Nardelli, Chrysler’s chairman and CEO, in a company announcement. “Under Lou’s leadership, Envi will develop electric-propulsion vehicles that will provide customers with more fuel-efficient vehicle options.”
Or maybe Bruce didn’t hear about Chrysler’s partnership with General Electric to develop electric powertrain technology:
General Electric Co. has been awarded part of a $30 million contract from the U.S. Department of Energy to help the auto industry develop a cost-effective and reliable plug-in hybrid electric car.
GE Global Research in Niskayuna will work with Chrysler on the project. The two companies together will be given up to $10 million over three years, and each will also contribute an equal amount of money to the project.
Another piece of Bruce’s wisdom: “Supplying these cars from China or anywhere around the world quickly and then investing in new models to capture market share might have saved Chrysler. “
From Bloomberg: “By the end of this year, Nardelli wants to sell a subcompact car in South America that’s designed by Wuhu, China-based Chery Automobile Co. He intends to build minivans for Volkswagen AG this year and pickups for Nissan in 2011. He also plans to sell compact cars built by Nissan in the U.S. in 2010.”
Finally, Bruce concluded with the following tidbit: “My guess is that GM will pick up Jeep and a couple of Chrysler lines—and that will be the end of that. Business model innovation is often the most powerful kind of innovation. It requires imagination and guts. Implementing old, tried and true, strategies in a time of dramatic change rarely work.”
Maybe Bruce has not come across any of the articles on Chrysler’s partnerships and outsourcing. In addition, Jim Press’ work on rationalizing the dealership cannibalization and his efforts on ending badge reengineering. Please someone tell Jim Press his initiatives are old are tired.
Bruce Nussbaum takes you deep into the latest thinking about innovation and design with daily scoops, provocative perspectives and case studies. Nussbaum is at the center of a global conversation on the growing discipline of innovation and the deepening field of design thinking.
Hey Bruce, stick to thinking about innovation and design and leave the M&A speculation to Wall Street.
Will General Motors Pick Up Chrysler On The Cheap? - businessweek.com