Lutz to retire at end of 2009

[darelldd]

I posted this in another Volt thread. Probably deserves its own thread.

Am I the first one to notice that Lutz has announced he'll retire at the end of this year - a year before the Volt is to be brought to market? That can't bode well when your biggest champion decides to punch his ticket before the ride begins.

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[Tideland Prius]

sooo... that means what in regards to the development of the Volt? The next person can probably just tell the workers to stop development!

[john1701a]

Originally Posted by darelldd

Am I the first one to notice that Lutz has announced he'll retire at the end of this year...

As soon as Congress started discussions about restricting executive compensation for the businesses getting bailout money, it was pretty obvious that Lutz would leave. When you are that old and there is such a dramatic reduction of pay, why not retire?
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[john1701a]

http://money.cnn.com/2004/01/06/pf/autos/detroit_gm_hybrids/index.htm

It just doesn't make environmental or economic sense to try to put an expensive dual-powertrain system into less expensive cars which already get good mileage, Lutz said at the North American International Auto Show.

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Lutz said he believes the only way a company can shoulder the extra cost of a hybrid system is by putting it on a higher-priced, higher margin vehicle such as a pickup or sport/utility vehicle. He argues that developing hybrid SUVs and pickups will have a great positive environmental impact because those vehicles can save more fuel with hybrid technology than can already fuel-efficient small cars.

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[usbseawolf2000]

"without the premium, where today if you buy a Toyota Prius you have to live to 150 to get back the premium over a conventional car," stated Bob Lutz.

GM executive Lutz argues critically acclaimed hybrid compacts like Toyota Prius are bad business.

"Hybrids are an interesting curiosity and we will do some," he said. "But do they make sense at $1.50 a gallon? No, they do not."

"For Toyota, it was a huge, huge, immeasurably valuable PR coup," said Lutz. GM's decision not to pursue a hybrid car "was a mistake from one aspect, and that's public relations and catering to the environmental movement."

The success of Prius is due to the car, not marketing.

[pmenvironmental]

I have inspire to this post. I think Congress started discussions about restricting executive compensation for the businesses getting bailout money, it was pretty obvious that Lutz would leave. When you are that old and there is such a dramatic reduction of pay, why not retire?. we have a unique time for retirement ..then we going out..

[71Corolla]

This strikes me how out of touch Lutz really is. The man is short sighted to the bone.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by usbseawolf2000

The success of Prius is due to the car, not marketing.

Selling the car is the marketing. By selling the Prius, the most fuel efficient car in the US, people forget Toyota's big push into trucks and SUV's over the last 5 years.

[DaveinOlyWA]

GOOD F**KING RIDDANCE!!

and why cant you leave now??

only a complete idiot (sorry, probably a cutdown to idiots worldwide) would blame a PR stunt on a car that had ZERO advertising dollars for the first 18 months after the product launch of the Gen 2 due to supply issues. IOW, the first 2 years of the instant runaway success of the Prius (which resulted in 3 unscheduled production increases during that 18 months to "try" to meet the demand, and no it was not nearly enough!!) was 100% WORD OF MOUTH...

when there is a watershed moment in anything, its a "V-8" moment. some things are just so obvious to so many that convincing is simply not necessary.

and lets face it, he knows that the volt when it comes to market will be such a let down compared to its advertised specs it will not sell...

and all in all, we have to examine his leadership. GM does not create EV's because they dont know how. they dont create viable hybrids because they dont have the technological astuteness to pull it off.

no, they dont do any of that stuff because they simply choose not to. simple as that. they made a decision based on what ever (and what ever it is, i could not care less) and now there are consequences for that decision.

as far as GM workers, it sucks to be you that is for sure. but oh well, if you are worth anything, you will find work. i question your sanity sticking with a company as long as you have, but i have been there and it does seem that options are few, but you all just need a kick in the ass to wake up and smell the coffee.

i dont feel sorry for you. what you are going thru is what more than 25% of the country has or is about to go thru anyway and all my sympathy has been used up on them.

but they did not have the advantage of knowing for YEARS that the company they worked for was rudderless... you did. so suck it up and DEAL with it

[darelldd]

USB... do you have references to those quotes? I have some already, but not for all. I collect them.