Featured Bob Lutz - Eating Crow?

Given how right he was in the past about the EV1, Prius, and climate change ... well if he'll give stock advice, I'd look seriously at doing the opposite.

Bob Wilson

 

I had a friend post a link to this crap to support his view that self driving cars would take over, and the city didn't actually need to fix its traffic problem just build a train.

Yes Maximum bob, is undeniably wrong most of the time. This guy gets it right.
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2009/02/editorial-general-motors-death-watch-230-how-bob-lutz-helped-destroy-g/

Here is Lutz in one of his last development tasks at GM

Cadillac Converj Concept - First Look - Motor Trend

OK, Max bob got the converj through, at 15,000/year estimate. If it sold 10,000/year well it would be ballpark, though a bad business decission. How'd he do?
Cadillac ELR Sales Figures - In Depth Data, Charts & Analysis
1310 in its best year, cancelled will less than 3000 sold. That is old bob lutz's car development and prediction skills.

Seems about as accurate as his prediction that the converj turned ELR would be a big success.

Now I do think something like the gm super cruise will be in all new cars by then in the US, a way to prevent accidents on well maintained highways. But they the government is not going to tell drivers they can't take over. The insurance company might if they get in accidents. Ol' Maximum bob is at his controversial bating to get attention. I saw him on CNBC talking about it, and he sounded like an idiot.

Dealership model? That will probably have to change. People can get too much information from the internet to let dealers profit from ripping off 30%. The profits from maintenance will go down too, as vehicles get more reliable. These trends are already happening. In texas the last governor, no friend to bevs, was frustrated 2 big dealers were able to work so hard against tesla to stop them from being able to offer things in their stores, they are now "show rooms" with them telling people they need to use the internet or telephone to talk to people out of state for financing and other information. The politics is already turning against the dealer power and economics.

Will cars simply be pods? If they were the prius sales would be going up not down. That too is fantasy. The fuel economy in the US, and co2 in europe regulations will mean that those higher performance cars will be doing it through electrification (batteries or super caps powering motors) instead of huge engines. The bmw i8 and tesla model 3 are great examples of efficient accelleration through electrification. Even the 2018 camry LE hybrid has great acceleration compared cars a couple of decades ago, while efficiency is great.

 

sounds like immelt at ge.