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"GM claims they are not making another hybrid mistake" (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Story?id=4485292&page=1)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Lutz_and_the_VOLT.jpgAshley Phillips - ABC News - March 20, 2008

GM originally stated Volt pricing was targeted for $30k, then $48, and now "unknown"- Ed.

Not making a hybrid car like the Prius was a "mistake," outspoken General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz told a room of Chevy Volt "fan boys" at the New York Auto Show this week.

"We had the technology to come out with a hybrid at the same time as Toyota," Lutz said Tuesday. "In hindsight, it was a mistake. ... We made the mistake and we won't make it again."

"I think the whole company has learned when you step out and do bold things, you win and when you're cautious and let other people do the bold things, you lose," he continued.

Lutz was at the auto show for an unprecedented town hall type, question-and-answer session from the "Volt Nation," a group of fans of the Volt, GM's electric concept car. They have rallied around a blog created by a New York neurologist who is unaffiliated with the company.

Lyle Dennis, a neurologist at New Jersey's Hackensack Medical Center and Englewood Hospital, started the blog GM-Volt.com when the concept car debuted in January 2007.

The Chevy Volt runs on a combination of a lithium ion battery and gas. The battery can be used for up to 40 miles at a time.

"I was personally struck by the importance and the potential of the car and I wanted to do something as a rallying point," Dennis said. "It was really more of an experiment and I didn't know if I could make a difference with it, so I've been surprised with what's happened this year."

Dennis came to the attention of GM executives just a few short months after he started his blog.

"We first met Lyle in April of last year when his Web site kept popping up with news on the Chevy Volt," said Rob Peterson, a spokesman for GM. "It blossomed into a relationship."

According to Peterson, as that relationship developed, Dennis brought up the idea of Volt engineers having a town hall meeting with the readership of his blog.

GM acquiesced, letting Dennis use its New York Auto Show floor space. Dennis called the meeting "Volt Nation."

Within 24 hours of announcing the meeting on his blog, Dennis saw more than 250 people sign up to attend…http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Story?id=4485292&page=2

For all of GM's talk about openness, however, a lot of questions were ultimately answered with "I don't know."

"There's still a lot of unknowns," an executive said from the stage to a New York man who asked about the car's pricing. "We don't have an answer. This is a technology that's never been tried before.":confused:

Have you noticed the closer we get to GM's target date of 2010 the more discouraging GM's comments become. It seems they have discovered they will be unable to deliver as promised and need to lessen our expectations.

Volt Nation! I may never have a Volt, but I'd like to apply for dual citizenship. :) The existence of a hard core group of potential Volt consumers makes me a bit less pessimisstic about failure. I just hope the nation is substantial and growing.

Better yet, let's get Volt Nation in the media. Talk it up, advocate it, put GM in a corner where they have much more to lose if there is no follow through. Get Dennis on the teevee talking about how this car will bring Detroit back.

One would think producing a serious hybrid car after the Prius would be easier, but GM so far seems clueless, unwilling or both.

Hi Reid:

___Great stories as of late …

___WRT Lutz’s Volt cost comments. These guys have to be looking at the OEM Prius-II PHEV-6/7 costing all of $24K and with a 10kWh Li-Ion pack added for a true PHEV-25 + for ~ $27K (late breaking Yen to $USD currency conversions not included), it will bring GM back to reality by the time the Volt launches in late 2010.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

GM's problem is that they are run by bean counters and not engineers or entrepreneurs.

Yes, the EV1/hybrid stuff that they had in 1995 MAY have cost them some money in the short-term with low sales volume and profit ($250 million according to Lutz). However, as they found out after Toyota came out with the Prius, it cost them a lot more NOT to come out with groundbreaking cars.

Now they're still trying to salvage their mistakes instead of writing poorly made FSPs off as a bad decision. The Big 3 are rapidly losing market share to more efficient, better-made cars.

GM's on fatal terrain. I wonder if they'll notice in time.

It'll be interesting and amusing to see the Volt fail miserably compared to the new maybe plug in Prius. Volt - a "neighborhood" vehicle that doesn't go too far on a charge, then you have to wait to recharge. So you can't take a cross country road trip with it - totally major flaw.

Amusing to see GM IDIOT Fans too! Looking forward to 2009 & 2010 for the new hybrid cars!

The Big 3 were supposed to get into hybrids with major Congressional help back in the early 90's.

Hi 99HXCivic:

___The Volt is a PHEV and has over a 600 mile proposed range with the 40 mile AER + the 1.0L’s MGSet powering the other 560 miles from the gas tank … at this point in time anyway?

___Good Luck

___Wayne

GM's problem is that they are run by bean counters and not engineers or entrepreneurs.



Replace "GM's" with Most public traded companies, the U.S. govt......... etc

Hi 99HXCivic:

___The Volt is a PHEV and has over a 600 mile proposed range with the 40 mile AER + the 1.0L’s MGSet powering the other 560 miles from the gas tank … at this point in time anyway?

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Oh, my bad. That actually sounds better, but GM might make the Volt too expensive!

I actually would be glad if the Volt gives the Prius some serious competition. Then the Prius might sell for a lower price as an incentive!

As Ashen used to say... "GM" stands for "Gonna Maybe".

I'd trust GM if they didn't keep talking out both sides of their mouth.

- "The Volt will be amazing and cheap." vs. "It's going to cost $48k."
- "We need to get the Volt out soon and it will be here soon." vs. "The batteries are problematic and holding everything up, another delay of a year."
- "The electrification of the automobile is inevitable." vs. "Hybrids aren't cost-effective."

GM frustrates me.

- "The electrification of the automobile is inevitable."

They are a smart bunch. Cars were " electricfied " over 100 years ago. we kind of went backwards there for a century. time to pull out that 1890's technology.

Forget GM and the Volt. Get the Aptera Typ-2 series hybrid when it goes into production. If the performance of the Typ-2h tracks that of the Typ-1h, it ought to blow away the Volt in FE.

While I agree with your assessment, I need a back seat for family hauling (which is why I still have the Elantra) and I'm not convinced that the single drive wheel will be such a good idea in the slippery stuff.

I'd definitely love to try my hand at an Aptera, though!

While I agree with your assessment, I need a back seat for family hauling (which is why I still have the Elantra) and I'm not convinced that the single drive wheel will be such a good idea in the slippery stuff.

I'd definitely love to try my hand at an Aptera, though!

The Aptera Typ-2 is going to be a 4-wheel, 4-5 seat car, which they plan to design and produce once they get the Typ-1e (EV) and the Typ-1h(series hybrid) into production. It'll probably resemble a professionally designed and manufactured EV/hybrid version of what I am currently driving.

Now that sounds excellent! I look forward to having the chance to buy something that looks like the Aerocivic. :)