GM's Bob Lutz tells all in book 'Car Guys vs. Bean Counters'

Ugh, that article gave me a headache. So much in there is about how Lutz is such a genius and how everyone else at GM is such an idiot and how if everyone had listened to Lutz, GM wouldn't have any problems.

From what I gather, he's always pointing fingers, even within his own company.

 

Bob Putz (sic) likes to blame others, but the AMERICAN PUBLIC benefitted from the higher CAFE standards, and GM CHOSE not to be a beneficiary by producing cars the public wanted to buy, unlike the Japanese.

More whining from an out-of-touch executive.

 

Whining is right. Some company sold the patent for large format batteries to Texaco and Chevron and stopped the Rav4 EV and plug-in prius that were in development. The gas companies sued Toyota/Panasonic to stop making the large batteries for Rav4 EV and future plug-in vehicles.

The same company said that Prius was a niche product with no widespread potentials into the mainstream. And what 's all that free ride stuff!

I wonder if there is any mention of the Prius in this book!

 

First ... I am not absolutely sure it was Lutz in the following story:

Last week I was listening to the news and a GM Exec was quoted recommending the fed tax on gasoline be set at $1/gal, explaining that would force the public to buy cars like the Volt (loosly quoted).

A co-announcer completely refutiated the Exec. He noted the average American income is $38K/year. He continued about the insensitivity of the GM Exec...... purnishing the public that cannot afford a very expensive car.

 

It was the present GM CEO

"Let them eat cake"
---General Motors Co. CEO Dan Akerson

 

"Let them eat cake" is right, and how would GM survive without selling a lot of trucks and SUVs.

When a truck, SUV or a large vehicle takes in 25 gallons of gas at $4.00 dollars, and the whole tank is used up for the weekly work commute and weekend errands, that is $400.00/month, add $1.00 dollar more in gas tax would equal $500.00/month. GM would sell more Volts, but not a lot of trucks and SUVs, and they would blame the gas tax/Government.

This maybe in Bob Lutz's new book where he said that at some point, the Government handed our market to the Japanese.

 

They handed their market to the Japanese with shoddily built, unexciting, ugly, and poor MPG cars.

Dinosaurs.

 

Seriously, it's like they realized in the 80's when the Japanese makers' market share was getting bigger:

"You mean people don't want to drive in rust buckets that get 15 mpg and only last 80,000 miles with no warranty? The heck you say..."

One thing you didn't see in that article that Lutz blamed were Unions. Which is curious because I would think that was a big contributor to GM's demise and subsequent taxpayer funded rescue.

 

If you can get past Lutz' arrogance, he's quite entertaining to listen to ... because he's the Archie Bunker of the auto industry ... never even imagining that he's being laughed at.

 

He was interviewed by Marketplace just yesterday.

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/...strys-downfall-putting-numbers-before-design/

 

Interesting interview of Bob Lutz by Wall Street Journal commenting on the Prius.

Video - Lutz: Bring Back the Autocratic CEO - WSJ.com

 

Ah yes. The lament of petty tyrants everywhere. "Just give me more power, and everything will be perfect."

 

Some of what he said made sense if you could ignore the egomaniac saying it.

 

I wish I could see a pic of the 7 passenger VUE

 

insight from a living train wreck, who fails to mention how many billions it'll take to clean up the toxic stew on all of the many uncounted acres of abandoned GM sights, too poluted to do anything with, until the hundreds of billions of superfund clean up money gets spent to clean up GM's (AND Lutz's) legacy disaster.

The Cutting Edge News

New GM Shirks Responsibility for Old Toxic Dumps and Mercury Disposal | Hybrid Cars

Sadly, we will be paying for GM for many many decades to come. Sure Mr. Lutz, we should let you and the good ol' boys, run the show again (shaking head) ... the good ol' boys that flew into congress in private jets ... tin cup in hand, begging for money. Sheesh ... and thanks for reminding us of what you and your good 'ol boys left us.

.

 

I would like to know if anybody thinks these numbers are possible, especially those who have driven the Prius PHV. I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised with the final EPA numbers of the PHV. A 13 or 15 miles in EV mode and 55mpg combined in HV mode. I would not really care about the EV distance as long as the HV mode is that efficient. I think these numbers maybe possible thru regen of EV battery. I am excited about prospecting EPA numbers for the Prius PHV and the Prius c.

These numbers would make it difficult to justify the Chevy Volt. IMO, currently I think the Chevy Volt is doing more to sell Chevy Cruze resulting in more than 22,000 Chevy Cruzes being sold in May 2011.