GM CEO: Toyota Prius is a "geek-mobile" that "I wouldn't be caught dead in"

Big red flag for any product when you have to tell people that it looks good. That kind of thing usually speaks for itself.

 

Ehh like I posted on FB yesterday, not only am I a Prius geek we're raising two more Prius Geeks.

 

Dan Akerson - Wikipedia fun facts:

Dan Akerson
ound:

Lest he need be reminded . . . the VEGA looked good.
Lest he need be reminded . . . they all imploded. He probably finds that Britney Spears looks good too . . . you just have to get past the imploded potential. I felt sad for poor Akerson ... not able to find something better to say about GM's hybrid car that sells for over $41K.

FWIW - you'd think Mr Akerson would want to try to win Prius fans over ... since it IS the most POPULAR hybrid in the world. Maybe say something like, "I hope all Prius owners will give the Volt a chance ... after all, buying an efficient, well built, roomy hybrid shows how intellegent Prius owners are ... in fact, Prius owner statistics show the majority of Prius owners are well educated". But . . . that was not meant to be. Doesn't anything at GM ever change? ... or do they just keep rotating the same employee stock with the same dinosaur mentality? Hopefully, the Volt will be worth more than Akerson's ability to think.

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Sounds like he suffers from "Joe Biden Syndrome" in that he says things out-loud he probably shouldn't. No, that's not a knock against Biden, but he is known to speak before think sometimes.

 

ya well. we shall see who has the last word

 

"We" being the consumers, I assume you mean?

 

What would you expect from someone in his position? Prius praise?

 

Arrgghh...

You can laugh, and NOT take the comment seriously..but I think this is a case where people should take it seriously.

GM obviously hasn't learned. It's just reflective of how dated and out of touch GM leadership STILL is....when will they learn?

I don't agree...but haven't they been awake the past 20 years? Even if you want to perceive The Prius as a "Geek Mobile"...then (Knock, Knock, Knock) Mr. Akerson, the past decade PLUS has been Revenge of The Nerds....

I can't believe a GM executive would publicly take such a High School lunch room shot, at a product they should be learning from, NOT deriding.....

So go ahead...keep making your huge "Cool" outdated gas guzzling products, you know, the same products that you've made for 20+ years, the same products that led you to the brink of non-existence and a huge government bail-out.

Because YOU might not be caught dead in a Prius...but GM might be dead if they don't learn to adapt....50 mpg is pretty cool by any standards...and Toyota has sold Millions of Prius...also pretty cool....

But keep building poorly manufactured cars that "look cool". That's been a formula for failure....but stick with it....because at least your outdated ego can look good as the last unwanted SUV rolls of the closing GM assembly line..

 

YES...if you are intelligent...you learn from the success of your competition and aknowledge their success...

 

I was just thinking what a foolish thing to say. How to alienate half your prospective future purchasers in one go.

 

gm could use a geek running the company. like amazon, apple or microsoft.

 

So, he think's it looks good (for the record I DON'T!).
He makes it sound like that's all it's got going for it. $40,000+ (probably more here in Canada) and it looks good?
I'll stick to Toyota thanks.
Subaru and Toyota are the only 2 vehicles that haven't let me down, hence why I have one of each

 

Yep... me too! I'm raising two Prius Geeks myself and since no one at gm understands, the chance my kids will buy a gm car is getting slim.

 

My guess, Ackerson was notified that all but a dozen or so Prius owners headed to early *EV land are not interested in the Volt. The surprising part is his willingness to lose 12 sales.

For the Volt, that is a big chunk

 

Apparently, he already is braindead

 

The Volt is a geeky car too. Does his comment mean that GM is considering dropping the Volt?

 

The Volt is not "geeky"... it's a very expensive NiCAD battery charger, much like the first Honda Insight was.

Honda improved. :huh:

 

The cited article has a number of comments. I thought #16 was particularly relevant: "...If the prius is the car for geeks then its market share is about to skyrocket.

Meanwhile trying to sell a computerized hybridized plug-in vehicle to luddites is going to become increasingly more difficult."

I also am wondering who GM management expects to sell the Volt to, if not to geeks who appreciate technology, an efficient design, and reduced reliance on fossil fuels. It's hard to believe that many of their Suburban and pickup owners will make the switch.