Wagoner Removed from GM; Edmunds.com Comments

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
Rick Wagoner is stepping down from his position as CEO of General Motors.

"In the end, this is less of an indictment of Rick`s tenure as CEO and more
about the political need for a scapegoat before unpopular loans could be
offered," commented Edmunds.com CEO Jeremy Anwyl. "GM is certainly a company in
distress, but under Ricks` leadership had been making solid progress. With the
economy unraveling last year, Rick simply ran out of time."

In recent months, Wagoner had insisted that he was not leaving his job.

"Numerous people from various quarters called for the resignation of Wagoner,
who led GM for the past eight years when it racked up billions in losses,"
reported Michelle Krebs, Editor of Edmunds` AutoObserver.com. "But he was
committed to GM`s success, and was frustrated that GM's progress in product,
technology and the competitiveness of its workforce had not been fully
appreciated."

The government has promised to guarantee warranties for Chrysler and General
Motors as part of the assistance package.

"No one can blame car buyers who shied away from brands that were mentioned in
the same breath as the word `bankruptcy,`" stated Edmunds.com Consumer Advice
Editor Philip Reed. "Now that their warranties are being guaranteed, Chrysler
and GM vehicles are good deals which are definitely worth considering."

What does Wagoner`s departure from GM mean for product development?

"Wagoner - as have many in Detroit - finally recognized that the auto industry
needed to begin responding to growing demand for cleaner, greener vehicles if it
was to remain competitive," observed John O`Dell, Editor of Edmunds`
GreenCarAdvisor.com. "Looking ahead, the green agenda is going to continue to be
pushed, and pushed hard, whoever is running the show, in part because Washington
wants it."

Edmunds.com advocates for a consistent energy policy that maintains gas prices
at a level that motivates car-buyers to strongly consider fuel efficient
vehicles. This will allow automakers to focus on developing the vehicles in
significant volumes with a reasonable expectation of selling them. Edmunds.com
data shows a strong correlation between gas prices and consumer prioritization
of fuel efficiency in their vehicle choices.

Edmunds.com spokespeople are available for interviews in Edmunds.com`s
television studio in its Santa Monica, Calif. headquarters and in its
Detroit-area satellite office.

Available spokespeople include:

 Jeremy Anwyl, Edmunds.com CEO (Los Angeles)

 Michelle Krebs, Edmunds` AutoObserver.com Senior Editor (Detroit)

 Bill Visnic, Edmunds` AutoObserver.com Editor (Pittsburgh)

 Kevin Smith, Edmunds.com Editorial Director (Los Angeles)

 Karl Brauer, Edmunds.com Editor In Chief (Los Angeles)

 Jesse Toprak, Edmunds.com Senior Analyst (Los Angeles)

 Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds.com Analyst (Los Angeles)

To schedule an interview, contact Jeannine Fallon or Chintan Talati at
310.309.4900 or pr@edmunds.com.

Edmunds.com
Jeannine Fallon or Chintan Talati, 310-309-4900
pr@edmunds.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009