GM road-tests batteries for Volt electric car

[jayman]

Originally Posted by F8L

I could almost be considered a breach of fiduciary responsibility yes?

YES. In my line of work, at the very least I'd be fired. More than likely, I'd also face various civil and criminal charges

Must be sweet to be on the Board of Directors, or in Upper Management, of a Big 3 car company

[jayman]

Originally Posted by miscrms

Its sort of ironic isn't it that GM has probably already spent more on green advertising in the last 2 years than the entire $1B cost of the EV1 program? Based on the assumption that ~1/3 of GM's annual $3B advertising budget for the last two years has been spent on their "Green" campaigns. Given how many "Low Fuel to No Fuel" ads and billboards I've seen I'd guess thats a low estimate.

Rob

Geez, I never even considered THAT angle!

jay

[JimN]

GM had the EV1 electric car and their Supercar hybrid prototype Precept that got 80mpg. The Precept lasted long enough to waste a billion dollars and to keep the CAFE low. GM had their second chance now they're on their third. In the criminal justice system "three strikes & you're in".

GM shareholders must have low performance standards but they'll be saved by the Federal bailout authorized by Clinton, Obama, or McCain within the next 8 years.

If you want to see real electric vehicles check out the June rally in the NJ forum.

[hill]

Originally Posted by miscrms

I love how GM is issuing press releases for every point of their internal development program trying to make it sound like they have actually accomplished something. As far as we know Toyota . . . . snip

Its sort of ironic isn't it that GM has probably already spent more on green advertising in the last 2 years than the entire $1B cost of the EV1 program? Based on the assumption that ~1/3 of GM's annual $3B advertising budget for the last two years has been spent on their "Green" campaigns. Given how many "Low Fuel to No Fuel" ads and billboards I've seen I'd guess thats a low estimate.
. . . . snip

The sick irony is GM's 1 Billion EV1 cost is puffed up. Likely included in that inflated cost was 100's of millions in legal fees, and lobby costs and buying off CARB, so that they wouldn't have to build any more of them ... as well as the cost of crushing perfectly good cars.

[DeadPhish]

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt simply because it is a new world they're in today. They would have horrendously bad mojo with the bulk of the US buying public if they backed off this thrust. Lutz is right to keep whipping and driving the concept and his people to get it out and make it work. The fact that they brought out the very very capable 2-Mode hybrids shows that they do have the technical know-how...now they have to market them properly.

But... there's no guarantee that the Li-ion technology work.

The Li-ion technology is really tough and Toyota is having the same problems, maybe more. In this tangle GM has backed Toyota somewhat into a corner. I don't think anyone at Toyota is overly enthused by being forced to come out with a PHEV at this time. The late Dave Hermance was not generally in favor of it. But GM is whipping and driving the idea and Toyota I feel doesn't want to lose the leadership position.

Personally given my present circumstances I wouldn't buy one from either maker. I'd go with an improved Gen 3 Prius in a heartbeat though. And if bio-diesel from algae became available in my area I'd go with a diesel at that time.

[john1701a]

It's the high-volume production that's the kicker.

Cheap & Flawless is far more of a challenge than most realize. In fact, that is the claimed issue with shortages for the hybrids they are currently trying to deliver.

So when they finally show off a fully-functional, there's still a long way to go.

.

[daniel]

Originally Posted by DeadPhish

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt simply because it is a new world they're in today. They would have horrendously bad mojo with the bulk of the US buying public if they backed off this thrust. ...

I highly doubt it. The bulk of the U.S. buying public will not buy a Volt and couldn't care less about an electric car and has no idea of what a PHEV is. They know that an EV has to be plugged in and they know they don't want one because "what do you do when it runs out of juice?" They still cannot figure out how a Prius charges its batteries. The concept of a car that can get energy either from the grid or from gas or from both is beyond them. And they want a vehicle that can carry all the kids they might have some day as well as pull the boat they hope to buy.

If GM builds the Volt, eventually the public will catch on and it will sell. But if the project fades away under press releases saying "we tried but problem X was insurmountable" the public will give them brownie points for trying, and the government will bail them out again. And if Toyota then comes out with a PHEV, GM will say "Yeah, but they had government support and besides, what we were trying to do was better," and the bulk of the buying public will believe them.