Motoryzacja

General Motors Corp. opened a $463-million Powertrain Engineering Development Center on Friday in Pontiac that is expected to accelerate the development of advanced, fuel-saving engine and transmission systems and cut costs.

Setting up a huge health care trust for hourly retirees could force General Motors Corp. to cut or delay spending in other areas, the automaker said in its annual report filed today.

In what is expected to be the beginnings of a broader reorganization of the new General Motors that recently emerged from bankruptcy, the company on Wednesday announced that its top lawyer and spokesman are leaving the company. The company also will integrate its global research and development organization into global product development, the company said.

General Motors did not "miss a beat" on its Chevrolet Volt project with the resignation last week of a high-level executive working on battery development, Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman for global product development, said Thursday. Bob Kruse left GM on Sept. 30 as executive director of global vehicle engineering, hybrids, electrics and batteries.

Consumer spending was stagnant in April while incomes posted a tiny advance, signs that the economic recovery could slow. The flat spending level was the weakest showing in seven months, according to the Commerce Department report.