Comments on: Profile: The Man in Charge of the Chevy Volt – Frank Weber http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/ Real-time news, information, and discussion about the Chevrolet Volt. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:55:54 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Tagamet http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31450 Tagamet Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:05:10 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31450 A true Wunderkind! A true Wunderkind!

]]> By: noel park http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31449 noel park Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:02:42 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31449 36 Jim I: I agree. Well put. 36 Jim I:

I agree. Well put.

]]> By: Jim I http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31432 Jim I Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:54:26 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31432 I don't think that you are giving Mr. Weber enough credit. If he does not know the specific answer to a technical question that may be out of his field, I am sure he has put in place a team, where he could get the information he needs. Upper management has given him a delivery date to meet, and unless there is a major problem in the drivetrain, he knows enough not to let the power drain of the electric door locks hold back that production deadline. Successful projects are what move these guys up the ladder. And unless he has a death wish, they all want to move up! After all, he will have on his resume, Chief Engineer and VLE of the Chevy Volt! I don’t think that you are giving Mr. Weber enough credit. If he does not know the specific answer to a technical question that may be out of his field, I am sure he has put in place a team, where he could get the information he needs.

Upper management has given him a delivery date to meet, and unless there is a major problem in the drivetrain, he knows enough not to let the power drain of the electric door locks hold back that production deadline.

Successful projects are what move these guys up the ladder. And unless he has a death wish, they all want to move up! After all, he will have on his resume, Chief Engineer and VLE of the Chevy Volt!

]]> By: nasaman http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31425 nasaman Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:02:46 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31425 10 Brian M & 32 Dave.... I certainly did NOT intend to be disrespectful of ME's or of the mechanical engineering discipline. Some of the best & smartest people I've ever known were ME's (in fact, my Orthopedic Surgeon who did back surgery on me years ago had been an ME prior to going back to Med school --see, I told you ME's are smart!) My real concern in my post #1 was that Frank Weber is spread so thin as Chief Engineer AND Vehicle Line Executive that EE's and/or supplier's, knowing this & knowing that his background was ME, might try to "con" him into signing off on needless cost & schedule concessions to reduce the power drain of accessories such as power door locks or the anti-theft alarm system --which makes little sense if such unnecessary redesigns could threaten the Volt schedule (or even the reliability of the accessory). 10 Brian M & 32 Dave….

I certainly did NOT intend to be disrespectful of ME’s or of the mechanical engineering discipline. Some of the best & smartest people I’ve ever known were ME’s (in fact, my Orthopedic Surgeon who did back surgery on me years ago had been an ME prior to going back to Med school –see, I told you ME’s are smart!)

My real concern in my post #1 was that Frank Weber is spread so thin as Chief Engineer AND Vehicle Line Executive that EE’s and/or supplier’s, knowing this & knowing that his background was ME, might try to “con” him into signing off on needless cost & schedule concessions to reduce the power drain of accessories such as power door locks or the anti-theft alarm system –which makes little sense if such unnecessary redesigns could threaten the Volt schedule (or even the reliability of the accessory).

]]> By: Jake http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31424 Jake Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:25:12 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31424 #31 Grizzly - Don't you worry about those A123 packs, I bet they are performing just fine! I'm with you though, I want to hear more about them. #31 Grizzly –

Don’t you worry about those A123 packs, I bet they are performing just fine! I’m with you though, I want to hear more about them.

]]> By: Tagamet http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31422 Tagamet Tue, 26 Feb 2008 04:21:33 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31422 FIRST Let's get the Volt's wheels on the road! FIRST Let’s get the Volt’s wheels on the road!

]]> By: Dave http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31421 Dave Tue, 26 Feb 2008 03:36:39 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31421 To: #1 (and a shout out to #9) A good ME would be able to understand the advantages and disadvantages of those tradeoffs. I am an ME. As such, I have had to take a few EE courses. While I couldn't design the electrical systems of the various projects that I've managed, I've certainly understood the project goals and I understood the electromechanical constraints that the EEs I directed (and listened to, and respected) were under. To: #1 (and a shout out to #9)
A good ME would be able to understand the advantages and disadvantages of those tradeoffs. I am an ME. As such, I have had to take a few EE courses. While I couldn’t design the electrical systems of the various projects that I’ve managed, I’ve certainly understood the project goals and I understood the electromechanical constraints that the EEs I directed (and listened to, and respected) were under.

]]> By: Grizzly http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31420 Grizzly Tue, 26 Feb 2008 03:26:13 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31420 It's been about a month or more. I'm curious about the performance of those A123\Conti packs. Maybe they're not performing, maybe that's why we've haven't heard anything. The big question for A123 is production above all else. Personally I think they should look to Mexico, as China for many reasons is just too iffy at this point. GM has enough in the way of idle facilities south of the border to make this work. Just MHO. It’s been about a month or more. I’m curious about the performance of those A123\Conti packs. Maybe they’re not performing, maybe that’s why we’ve haven’t heard anything.

The big question for A123 is production above all else. Personally I think they should look to Mexico, as China for many reasons is just too iffy at this point. GM has enough in the way of idle facilities south of the border to make this work.

Just MHO.

]]> By: Jim F. http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31418 Jim F. Tue, 26 Feb 2008 02:14:54 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31418 It looks to me like GM has a handle on accessory power according to Lutz in the following link: http://www.wired.com/cars/futuretransport/news/2008/01/lutz_volt_qa Lutz: We've got all the instrumentation worked out, the software engineers are getting all the control algorithms worked out, we've worked out heating and cooling. You've got to develop electric air-conditioning, which we've done. All of the systems that work off the engine, you've got to do something else. We've had to develop low-energy wipers, low-energy in-car entertainment. We're having to invent a lot of stuff. It looks to me like GM has a handle on accessory power according to Lutz in the following link:

http://www.wired.com/cars/futuretransport/news/2008/01/lutz_volt_qa

Lutz: We’ve got all the instrumentation worked out, the software engineers are getting all the control algorithms worked out, we’ve worked out heating and cooling. You’ve got to develop electric air-conditioning, which we’ve done. All of the systems that work off the engine, you’ve got to do something else. We’ve had to develop low-energy wipers, low-energy in-car entertainment. We’re having to invent a lot of stuff.

]]> By: PaulR http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31417 PaulR Tue, 26 Feb 2008 02:14:03 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/02/25/profile-the-man-in-charge-of-the-chevy-volt-frank-weber/#comment-31417 Tim #20, you make an interesting point that GM can never be trusted based on their actions in 1947. On a related note, only a few years earlier the Japanese navy launched a surprise attack against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor. The attack lasted about 90 minutes during which 2,386 people were killed. The cost was even higher than that rail system GM helped destroy. So along with GM, I'm not quite sure I trust Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Honda, Suzuki, or Subaru. And please don't even get me started about those German cars! Tim #20, you make an interesting point that GM can never be trusted based on their actions in 1947.

On a related note, only a few years earlier the Japanese navy launched a surprise attack against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor. The attack lasted about 90 minutes during which 2,386 people were killed. The cost was even higher than that rail system GM helped destroy.

So along with GM, I’m not quite sure I trust Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Honda, Suzuki, or Subaru.

And please don’t even get me started about those German cars!

]]>