Comments on: GM Opens Magic Powertrain Kingdom

By: reclusive_in_nature

reclusive_in_nature — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:22:02 +0000

Kudos to ttac for the fair article. I just knew a sarcastic-GM-bashing remark was coming as I read along, but none came. Very impressive.

By: Potemkin

Potemkin — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:21:09 +0000

Like many things with GM the savings are projected. I doubt they will ever recover the cost of the facility in actual hard dollars. Another case of “look everyone we are doing something to save the company”, we are spending cash we don’t have. More smoke and mirrors from the illusionists.

By: rpol35

rpol35 — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:33:15 +0000

TTAC Readers:

Check out the link that is attached below, interesting reading regarding GM’s prior power train attemps as they relate to electric cars, specifically the EV1. The writer sounds like he’s about to go Bolshevik on you at any moment but he makes good points about GM’s intransigence, lack of focus, wavering, waffling yada, yada, yada.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/87929-impact-of-gm-destroying-the-ev1?source=yahoo

By: shaker

shaker — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:43:42 +0000

Maybe they tested the V6’s with “regular” antifreeze instead of “Dreck-Kool”.
Seems the horse is already out in the field, then GM touts a new “barn”.
Eh…
Best of luck, GM. Work hard, maybe I’ll be back in a few years.

By: prthug (of GM)

prthug (of GM) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:02:17 +0000

cheezeweggie :
July 29th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
“Remember, you’re talking about the same company that designed and “tested” the Vega engine, the converted V8 gasoline/diesel engine, and the original Caddy 4-6-8 cylinder-on-demand engine. Even with a modern state of the art facility, what are the chances of them fudging this up too ?”

Yah, I’m sure it’s that same team from 30 years ago doing the work..that would make perfect sense…

Good grief.

By: John Horner

John Horner — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 03:34:18 +0000

Do you think the two decade long V-6 intake manifold leak problem would have been fixed sooner with this wonder-lab?

I put my money on the people first, and the facility only secondarily.

By: cheezeweggie

cheezeweggie — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:35:06 +0000

Remember, you’re talking about the same company that designed and “tested” the Vega engine, the converted V8 gasoline/diesel engine, and the original Caddy 4-6-8 cylinder-on-demand engine. Even with a modern state of the art facility, what are the chances of them fudging this up too ?

By: kjc117

kjc117 — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:09:38 +0000

Back to my original question, has anyone pre ordered the Volt?

By: Blunozer

Blunozer — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:23:57 +0000

Good to know that GM actually plans on testing this radical new powertrain for all of a year before releasing it.

The head gasket on my old ‘95 Grand Prix obviously wasn’t tested at all.

By: toxicroach

toxicroach — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:21:46 +0000

Bet you 10 bucks that by 2015 Kia owns the facility.

By: scrubnick

scrubnick — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:33:05 +0000

This facility is actually a (large) extension to the existing Pontiac Powertrain facility. Work on this has been going on for a couple of years now and it still is not finished. Various groups have been moving in over the past few years as it has been built. (I work at GMPT in Ypsilanti and my group moves next month) The Volt drive unit has been in development both here in Ypsi and up there to make use of all the available resources.

But, make no bones about it, this is one VERY expensive place!

By: Redbarchetta

Redbarchetta — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:27:30 +0000

I must be confused but I thought they already open this facility, or am I thinking of a different E-flex development center. Didn’t TTAC post about this 6+ months ago.

GM deserves a little credit for the new facility. 450,000 sq ft buildings don’t just sprout out of the ground a few months after your SUV crash. A building that size is going ot take 12-18 months just to build and fully equip. Add in another 24 months for design, deveopment, planning approval and funding and it doesn’t sound like GM’s pants were below it’s knees for this one like they usually are. But they don’t get any of that credit from me if they just switched it from truck/SUV powertrain deveopment to this a few months ago since now they are forced to sell cars.

How on earth can this save them even one penny let alone $200m before they send the first new engine or tranny out the door? This facility is just more overhead until it produces a powertrain they can have sales success with, oh and a profit too.