General Motors (GM -0.37%) has come a long way since its collapse into bankruptcy in 2009. With help from U.S. taxpayers and some much-improved products, GM today is financially healthy and on a global upswing.

But it isn't as profitable as rivals like Volkswagen (VWAGY -0.20%) and Toyota (TM 1.00%), and CEO Dan Akerson is pushing hard to close that gap. In this video, Fool contributor John Rosevear looks at GM's plan to improve its profit margins in North America -- and notes that the plan is likely to take a page or two from old rival Ford (F 0.05%).