Volt Birth Watch 68: Is 2020 the New 2010?
In a maximum interview with Auto Motor und Sport, GM Car Czar Bob Lutz tells us to expect 1m annual production of E-Flex EVs in 2020. Meanwhile, we can expect "no more than" 10k Volts by 2012. (For reference, it took Toyota ten years to sell one million Priora, and that they won't hit 1m annually until (you guessed it) 2010. As in the year the Volt comes out.) Lutz also confirms that though Opel-branded E-Flex-mobiles may be forthcoming, the Volt will be a world model to be sold in left and right-hand drive markets. Interestingly, Lutz says he can't remember has never seen anything like the current downturn in the U.S. auto market. Never mind. "Not only will we survive," Lutz barks. "We'll be stronger and more competitive than before." After all, they'll be launching a world-beating plug-in electric – gas hybrid, double annual capacity of it every year and (presumably) turning a profit on it.
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My German is really bad but it looks like Auto Motor und Sport asked him about the Hummber brand. I'm not sure exactly what the question was but it looks like the answer was probably pretty funny. Something about the perception by environmentalists of the Hummer as being the Antichrist and the Devil and the Prius as the Messiah. Maximum Bob... wake up! The Hummer isn't the problem! Your problem is that you don't have a Prius and the rest of your little cars are not competitive! Your whole company is a gas hog! If I want an efficient, environmentally friendly car, it doesn't matter to me if you build Hummers or not... You don't build a Prius! You're out of the running!
Technologically speaking, the Prius is not cutting edge. Nor is it very "Advanced" after the time on earth it's already had. Jeez, the Metro got better gas mileage ten years ago. And didn't pollute the landfill in the process. The well to wheel cost of the Pious is higher than a Ford Explorer.
monkeyboy: "The well to wheel cost of the Pious is higher than a Ford Explorer." And your source for this bit of nonsense is...? Do your own sniff test... If the well to wheels cost of the Prius was higher than the Explorer, someone would have to be PAYING that cost - the consumer. Energy is not free and the costs get passed along. Yet, he Prius price is thousands LESS than an Explorer.
Is it just the picture of does that HHR has the biggest front bumper in recent history? My question is: will GM come back after bankruptcy and will they be any smarter or will they pull a Chrysler and be in the same boat all over again a decade later?