Comments on: Volt Birth Watch 118: Wagoner To Drive “Volt” To Hearings

By: Ronnie Schreiber

Ronnie Schreiber — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:03:05 +0000

They’re damned if they do, damned if they don’t, but the fact remains that while the Detroit CEOs are coming to Washington to ask for money, at this point in time their primary moral responsibility is to the stockholders and employees, not Congress or US citizens. That’s whose interest they represent. They may be coming, hat in hand, begging (though I think that’s the wrong attitude to take), but their legal and fiduciary obligation is to the people that right now own stock in their companies. If any of us were in their place I think we’d do they same as they are.

Right now the focus is on them and, after all, they are in the business of selling cars, so why not take your best shot in terms of what model will resonate with Americans best and try to get some good publicity?

Ed, I thought that GM should take one of the Cruze platform mules, have Metalcrafters do a rush job hanging on production Volt style body panels, and drive it to Washington, but that’s not realistic.

While I’m pretty sure that GM has Volt mules that can do serious highway miles and probably the shlep to DC, R&D being what it is, and test mules being test mules, they could have a breakdown, something normal during development but disastrous if done with the spotlight shining so brightly on it.

The Malibu will get impressive mileage because it’s going to be cruise controlled highway miles. GM gets a lot of face time for a hybrid version of their bread and butter Camry fighter. While it’s not a PR home run, it’s not a strike out either.

What would I do if I was CEO? First, I wouldn’t be going hat in hand and I wouldn’t be afraid of telling off a grandstanding politician. Make you best case to the American people and have some balls about it.

By: Aegea

Aegea — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:26:18 +0000

It’s all theater. Just enjoy the show.

By: Stein X Leikanger

Stein X Leikanger — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:22:44 +0000

They should all have been driving their best bet from their own manufacture. It should have been a race, the winner should have gotten it all — Cannonball Run to D.C.

Why not – couldn’t get any more ludicrous than this.

Those guys must really hate flying commercial.

By: Adub

Adub — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:10:27 +0000

Why not a new non-hybrid Malibu that people actually are buying, that Consumer Reports actually rated quite highly? Toyota did not conquer GM with Prii, they did it with Corollas and Camrys.

Morons. All of them.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:53:15 +0000

I am now actively praying the car falls apart on the way. That would be sooooo priceless.

By: RetardedSparks

RetardedSparks — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:29:07 +0000

Boy, so many quips, so little time:
- the Volt is probably being flat-bedded there as we speak. Hmm now, let’s see…one semi, plus a half dozen Suburbans full of support crew and gear to make sure the Volt thing actually runs.. making that jet look awful green right now.
Hope Capitol hill ain’t too steep!
Now c’mon Ford, what have you got – diesel Mondeo, maybe?
Chrysler will show up in either a face-lifted minivan or an SRT Charger – they got nothin to lose.

By: NickR

NickR — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:28:40 +0000

It’s not April the 1st, Edward.

By: Edward Niedermeyer

Edward Niedermeyer — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:27:10 +0000

Thanks Richard, text amended.

By: Richard Chen

Richard Chen — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:12:54 +0000

WSJ reports it’s going to be just 2 miles.

By: Edward Niedermeyer

Edward Niedermeyer — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:12:17 +0000

Jerome10: If Wagoner (or better yet, Lutz with “Ride Of The Valkyries bumping) drove from Detroit to DC in a Volt, this conversation would be very different. Just as Mulally should be rolling up on DC in a fleet of current Euro-spec (our 2010) models. Granted the whole question of how they got their was one of cheap symbolism, but that doesn’t mean they should be responding on that level. They’re the ones asking for $34b.

By: JeremyR

JeremyR — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:06:59 +0000

Of course nothing will be done to solve the problem; nobody seems to have the stomach for a real solution.

By: Jerome10

Jerome10 — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:51:27 +0000

Ha, knew this would happen….didn’t think it’d be right here at TTAC.

They get skinned for flying the private jets. I predicted they’d get skinned for driving too. Amazing. You know if they flew commercial and got delayed they’d get torn apart for being late. Or if they flew commercial, others would complain about how “look, they don’t even want to drive their own cars to DC”.

They just can’t win, no matter what they do. That’s why they should have just said they took the private jets because their time is of the utmost importance and they can’t waste it at the airport or in a car for 18 hours. Then they’d get torn apart for talking back to Congress and we’d have another dog-and-pony-show about how they shouldn’t be getting aggressive to the congress.

What a joke. This whole “bailout” thing just opened a ridiculous can of worms and now there’s no going back. Just more and more ridiculous stunts that do nothing but waste money and don’t solve the problem.

By: Stein X Leikanger

Stein X Leikanger — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:45:06 +0000

Poor GM. The Volt was a press stunt for the Detroit Auto Show, never meant to be turned into a for-sale vehicle — got inordinate amounts of press, and then they had to pretend they were going to get it street ready.

First concept has better CE backwards in the wind tunnel; battery pack way too big, technology not there.

And now Wagoner has to use a prototype skin on a regular platform to roll to D.C. while doing a repeat of Henry’s Walk to Canossa to beg the (pope’s) Congress’ pardon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walk_to_Canossa

This is The Three Stooges go to Washington, Part II.

By: jgh

jgh — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:41:25 +0000

So the point has completely been lost. Driving to D.C. was supposed to be a show of humility. Now it’s turned into a dog-and-pony show (ironic: much like most management ~~boondogles~~ drives during vehicle development). Conveniently, it would allow for a humble showcase of their technology.

Now it appears to be a distraction (Ooh! Bright, shiny object!) in the hopes Congress will gloss over the gaping holes and squishy matter in GM’s proposal.

CLEARLY, they just don’t get it. These PR folks are absolute [many expletives here] morons.

By: David Holzman

David Holzman — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:26:45 +0000

Agree with Montgomery Burns, except I would say the CEOs should know waht it’s like to drive their products on a real roadtrip. Now’s as good a time as any.

By: TexN

TexN — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:25:13 +0000

Paul,
You stole my thunder, but you’ve got to be right on the mark! It’s not like they can drive one off of the lot of a Baltimore Chevy dealer. Now an Aveo on the other hand………
Tex

By: Paul Niedermeyer

Paul Niedermeyer — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:21:15 +0000

Psst: GM probably flew the Volt out east on a jet.

By: montgomery burns

montgomery burns — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:19:55 +0000

This aspect of this otherwise sad affair is hilarious. They screwed up the first time around, OK they left their thinking caps at home that day.

Could have just taken a commercial flight to DC but NO, we must look like buffoons!

These friggin guys could screw up a cup of coffee.

By: autonut

autonut — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:17:21 +0000

Does he has a valid drivers license? This putz is driven around in a limo with an armed bodyguard. It’s dangerous to let him drive, he may kill someone.

By: jpcavanaugh

jpcavanaugh — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:16:26 +0000

Wouldn’t the corporate jet have cost less than this circus?

By: N85523

N85523 — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:12:44 +0000

Good luck trying to find a parking space anywhere close to the capitol.

By: TexN

TexN — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:10:07 +0000

What a freaking circus! I can only imagine how the rest of the world is watching and just shaking their collective heads in amazement. It reminds me of the old Far Side cartoon where the two space aliens are descending the stairs of their spaceship. One of them falls on his face and cascades down the stairs. The other alien says, “Well, so much for instilling a sense of awe in them.”
Note to self: buy Toyota stock

By: austinseven

austinseven — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:07:51 +0000

Followed by an unmarked AAA tow truck. Wouldn’t THAT keep Jay Leno happy with material for at least a week?

By: Runfromcheney

Runfromcheney — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:05:30 +0000

30 miles? I actually think that they will launch Wagoner’s “Volt” about 150 feet away from the steps of Congress.