Comments on: Automotive Industry Collapse Quickens, Toyota and Honda Now Asking For Loans and GM Issues Going Concern Notice http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/05/automotive-industry-collapse-quickens-toyota-and-honda-now-asking-for-loans-and-gm-issues-going-concern-notice/ Real-time news, information, and discussion about the Chevrolet Volt. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:07:32 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: User-Centered Design, Part II (+ Design for Human Emotions) | The Adventures of Graduate School http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/05/automotive-industry-collapse-quickens-toyota-and-honda-now-asking-for-loans-and-gm-issues-going-concern-notice/#comment-155761 User-Centered Design, Part II (+ Design for Human Emotions) | The Adventures of Graduate School Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:15:04 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1552#comment-155761 [...] future; any products designed for everyday consumers will be user-centered. I had talked about the failure of the automobile industry being a result of a lack of customization; a lack of user input. For another example of [...] [...] future; any products designed for everyday consumers will be user-centered. I had talked about the failure of the automobile industry being a result of a lack of customization; a lack of user input. For another example of [...]

]]> By: Seats http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/05/automotive-industry-collapse-quickens-toyota-and-honda-now-asking-for-loans-and-gm-issues-going-concern-notice/#comment-154950 Seats Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:07:37 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1552#comment-154950 cool pics cool pics

]]> By: User-Centered Design | The Adventures of Graduate School http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/05/automotive-industry-collapse-quickens-toyota-and-honda-now-asking-for-loans-and-gm-issues-going-concern-notice/#comment-154617 User-Centered Design | The Adventures of Graduate School Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:15:58 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1552#comment-154617 [...] and desires. In a Management course that I took last year, we discussed how a major reason for the collapse of the auto industry (besides the economy) has been a major lack of customization. Cars are built the way the designers [...] [...] and desires. In a Management course that I took last year, we discussed how a major reason for the collapse of the auto industry (besides the economy) has been a major lack of customization. Cars are built the way the designers [...]

]]> By: Gman http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/05/automotive-industry-collapse-quickens-toyota-and-honda-now-asking-for-loans-and-gm-issues-going-concern-notice/#comment-100544 Gman Sat, 14 Mar 2009 19:29:14 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1552#comment-100544 Folks: for far "more truth" concerning vehicles and their reliability and failures, try perusing "CarComplaints.com." And specifically find the list for the vehicles with the most reported problems. http://www.carcomplaints.com/top_vehicles.shtml See where the 2001 Honda Civic and 2003 Honda Accord fall. Does Consumer Reports tell you anything about this? Go on-line and research Honda transmissions (Honda Transmission Problems) for the period of the late 1990's through the mid-2000's and tell me with a straight face that there aren't countless hair-raising failures. Honda's response, deny the problem or put a replacement transmission back in with the SAME FAILURE MODE left intact so it can again fail within a couple of years or so. Consumer Reports doesn't even list the 2003 Honda Accord as having any "transmission problems!" Why did it take 7+ years for Consumer Reports to even finally indicate millions of Toyota's could suffer complete engine failures due to "sludging?" "Click and Clack" indicated in a column in 2001 they were already well aware of this problem as were other mechanics! Someone in the building where I worked had a complete Camry engine failure just outside their initial 3yr/36,000 mile warranty period. The engine was replaced at HIS EXPENSE. This was prior to the more common knowledge of the problem and the extension of the warranty to 8yrs/100,000 miles as a means to settle the class-action lawsuit -- before it finally arrived in court. Now, do you think someone who tells you you're dumb for purchasing anything other than Toyota (and especially citing Consumer Reports) is going to stand-up publically and admit a complete engine failure just outside the warranty period? NOT ON YOUR LIFE! Of course Toyota has "a good reputation." None of the owners stand up and tell the truth in public. They instead "quietly" fix the problem and sell or trade the vehicle. Seriously, I have yet to meet a Honda or Toyota owner who will "blast" their vehicle in public even AFTER SUFFERING MAJOR EXPENSIVE problems. They are at least starting to do it on-line. Folks: for far “more truth” concerning vehicles and their reliability and failures, try perusing “CarComplaints.com.”
And specifically find the list for the vehicles with the most reported problems. http://www.carcomplaints.com/top_vehicles.shtml
See where the 2001 Honda Civic and 2003 Honda Accord fall. Does Consumer Reports tell you anything about this? Go on-line and research Honda transmissions (Honda Transmission Problems) for the period of the late 1990’s through the mid-2000’s and tell me with a straight face that there aren’t countless hair-raising failures. Honda’s response, deny the problem or put a replacement transmission back in with the SAME FAILURE MODE left intact so it can again fail within a couple of years or so. Consumer Reports doesn’t even list the 2003 Honda Accord as having any “transmission problems!” Why did it take 7+ years for Consumer Reports to even finally indicate millions of Toyota’s could suffer complete engine failures due to “sludging?” “Click and Clack” indicated in a column in 2001 they were already well aware of this problem as were other mechanics! Someone in the building where I worked had a complete Camry engine failure just outside their initial 3yr/36,000 mile warranty period. The engine was replaced at HIS EXPENSE. This was prior to the more common knowledge of the problem and the extension of the warranty to 8yrs/100,000 miles as a means to settle the class-action lawsuit — before it finally arrived in court. Now, do you think someone who tells you you’re dumb for purchasing anything other than Toyota (and especially citing Consumer Reports) is going to stand-up publically and admit a complete engine failure just outside the warranty period? NOT ON YOUR LIFE! Of course Toyota has “a good reputation.” None of the owners stand up and tell the truth in public. They instead “quietly” fix the problem and sell or trade the vehicle. Seriously, I have yet to meet a Honda or Toyota owner who will “blast” their vehicle in public even AFTER SUFFERING MAJOR EXPENSIVE problems. They are at least starting to do it on-line.

]]> By: Nostra Damus http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/05/automotive-industry-collapse-quickens-toyota-and-honda-now-asking-for-loans-and-gm-issues-going-concern-notice/#comment-99367 Nostra Damus Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:17:57 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1552#comment-99367 I will support for GM innovative idea. GM is a brand of all Americans. We should not let other brand step on our GM. GM start the automotive industry and why should we give GM to the Chinese. Maybe because you're a Chinese. :) I think, if GM will lower their pricing and increase their service quality, probably they will get back the confident of those customer change brand. If I we're GM, sell their old GM product in lower cost because they already bailed out. From that, they can start creating hybrid cars without depending on Gas. I have a project when I was on high school, I built a mini car with recyclable energy. I use rechargeable battery, solar panel and wind energy. While the mini car is running, I had a wind absorber in front of the mini car and convert it to an energy (wind energy - wind turbine) and use it to charge the battery and I also use a mini solar panel and it will also charge the back-up battery when it is on idle mode and specially on the parking lot. This project was very successful. I hope GM will get this kind of concept. Unfortunately, because in my country they didn't recognize my project because during that time, they don't feel the economic crisis so I change my skills into a Software Architect. Will, at least I tried to build a project with on my own effort. I will support for GM innovative idea. GM is a brand of all Americans. We should not let other brand step on our GM. GM start the automotive industry and why should we give GM to the Chinese. Maybe because you’re a Chinese. :) I think, if GM will lower their pricing and increase their service quality, probably they will get back the confident of those customer change brand. If I we’re GM, sell their old GM product in lower cost because they already bailed out. From that, they can start creating hybrid cars without depending on Gas.

I have a project when I was on high school, I built a mini car with recyclable energy. I use rechargeable battery, solar panel and wind energy. While the mini car is running, I had a wind absorber in front of the mini car and convert it to an energy (wind energy – wind turbine) and use it to charge the battery and I also use a mini solar panel and it will also charge the back-up battery when it is on idle mode and specially on the parking lot.

This project was very successful. I hope GM will get this kind of concept. Unfortunately, because in my country they didn’t recognize my project because during that time, they don’t feel the economic crisis so I change my skills into a Software Architect. Will, at least I tried to build a project with on my own effort.

]]> By: Adamus http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/05/automotive-industry-collapse-quickens-toyota-and-honda-now-asking-for-loans-and-gm-issues-going-concern-notice/#comment-99189 Adamus Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:39:25 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1552#comment-99189 I got it! Give GM to the Chinese! They got loads of cash! They're going to own the U.S. anyway! We could all learn Mandarin by way of Rosetta Stone. Then, we will all "just get along now" (King) as one big happy global community that speaks Mandarin ala Phelps! I knew I wasn't going to regret buying shares in Rosetta Stone corp (a.k.a. a secret GM concern to get your money somehow someway!) King, Rodney (Interview) Police brutality victim March 2, 1991 I got it! Give GM to the Chinese! They got loads of cash! They’re going to own the U.S. anyway! We could all learn Mandarin by way of Rosetta Stone. Then, we will all “just get along now” (King) as one big happy global community that speaks Mandarin ala Phelps!

I knew I wasn’t going to regret buying shares in Rosetta Stone corp (a.k.a. a secret GM concern to get your money somehow someway!)

King, Rodney (Interview) Police brutality victim March 2, 1991

]]> By: Randy C. http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/05/automotive-industry-collapse-quickens-toyota-and-honda-now-asking-for-loans-and-gm-issues-going-concern-notice/#comment-99135 Randy C. Sat, 07 Mar 2009 08:34:06 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1552#comment-99135 I believe the current economic crisis was caused by the high fuel prices last summer (only 6 months apart). If the prices weren't the cause they surely accelerated and intensified the decline. Unfortunately GM's good buddy President Bush refused to see the hole in the economy and steered America the wrong way. The hole is, we allowed our economy to become very dependent on petroleum fuel so that large sums of money has to leave our shores every day. This can not go on forever without consequences. By fighting the requirement for electric cars, the automakers destroyed the fastest and cheapest solution to the dependence problem. By stopping all electric car development, the progress way from oil dependence was set back at least 10 years. Electric cars were on the road and working well at the beginning of this decade. But GM using the excuse “we were no longer making the parts to keep the EV1 safely on the road” decided America didn't need electric cars to insulate us from petroleum. This reasoning sounds like something a lawyer cooked up to hide a bad executive decision. Bio-fuels currently can't be made in enough quantity without affecting food production. Hydrogen is a long way from being a viable fuel with NONE of the required infrastructure in place, manufacture, distribution, and dispensing. With electric cars 2/3 of the infrastructure exists, only the dispensing part needs to be developed. Can you think of a building built in the last 50 years that was never intended to have ANY kind of electrical service? I believe the current economic crisis was caused by the high fuel prices last summer (only 6 months apart). If the prices weren’t the cause they surely accelerated and intensified the decline. Unfortunately GM’s good buddy President Bush refused to see the hole in the economy and steered America the wrong way. The hole is, we allowed our economy to become very dependent on petroleum fuel so that large sums of money has to leave our shores every day. This can not go on forever without consequences.

By fighting the requirement for electric cars, the automakers destroyed the fastest and cheapest solution to the dependence problem. By stopping all electric car development, the progress way from oil dependence was set back at least 10 years. Electric cars were on the road and working well at the beginning of this decade. But GM using the excuse “we were no longer making the parts to keep the EV1 safely on the road” decided America didn’t need electric cars to insulate us from petroleum. This reasoning sounds like something a lawyer cooked up to hide a bad executive decision.

Bio-fuels currently can’t be made in enough quantity without affecting food production. Hydrogen is a long way from being a viable fuel with NONE of the required infrastructure in place, manufacture, distribution, and dispensing. With electric cars 2/3 of the infrastructure exists, only the dispensing part needs to be developed. Can you think of a building built in the last 50 years that was never intended to have ANY kind of electrical service?

]]> By: noel park http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/05/automotive-industry-collapse-quickens-toyota-and-honda-now-asking-for-loans-and-gm-issues-going-concern-notice/#comment-99059 noel park Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:56:15 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1552#comment-99059 #140 Laura M: Yeah, and it's a lot more than a CEO problem. How about Mr. Lutz, $6 million more or less. Or his replacement, $4 million plus. Or Mr. Henderson??? Right up there, you can bet. Recently 60 Minutes, or one of its clones, did an interview with a Wall Street denizen about the requirement that CEOs of companies getting bailouts be paid no more than $500K/year. He said that all of the Wall St. firms are interpreting this to mean the CEO only. Anybody below that level is exempt - business as usual. The interviewer asked how many people that covered. The guy just rolled his eyes and said "thousands". #144 avatar: I feel you, brother. All of us running small businesses are walking a very high wire with no net at the moment. #140 Laura M:

Yeah, and it’s a lot more than a CEO problem. How about Mr. Lutz, $6 million more or less. Or his replacement, $4 million plus. Or Mr. Henderson??? Right up there, you can bet.

Recently 60 Minutes, or one of its clones, did an interview with a Wall Street denizen about the requirement that CEOs of companies getting bailouts be paid no more than $500K/year. He said that all of the Wall St. firms are interpreting this to mean the CEO only. Anybody below that level is exempt – business as usual.

The interviewer asked how many people that covered. The guy just rolled his eyes and said “thousands”.

#144 avatar:

I feel you, brother.

All of us running small businesses are walking a very high wire with no net at the moment.

]]> By: Electric Vehicle Owner http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/05/automotive-industry-collapse-quickens-toyota-and-honda-now-asking-for-loans-and-gm-issues-going-concern-notice/#comment-99036 Electric Vehicle Owner Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:26:33 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1552#comment-99036 #119 chevonly re: VW electric you mean like they introduced at last year's Geneva show? http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/02/volkswagen_to_i.php http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/gas-mileage/vw-hybrid-gas-mileage-460527 http://jalopnik.com/363007/vw-golf-tdi-hybrid-combines-best-of-both-worlds The've decided that rich people will buy it, so as soon as they finish emptying the current gold mine that's the Jetta TDI and the economy recovers, they'll consider it for trickle down production. The crossover version with the right suspension would dominate the Dakar Rally. #119 chevonly

re: VW electric

you mean like they introduced at last year’s Geneva show?

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/02/volkswagen_to_i.php

http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/gas-mileage/vw-hybrid-gas-mileage-460527

http://jalopnik.com/363007/vw-golf-tdi-hybrid-combines-best-of-both-worlds

The’ve decided that rich people will buy it, so as soon as they finish emptying the current gold mine that’s the Jetta TDI and the economy recovers, they’ll consider it for trickle down production.

The crossover version with the right suspension would dominate the Dakar Rally.

]]> By: noel park http://gm-volt.com/2009/03/05/automotive-industry-collapse-quickens-toyota-and-honda-now-asking-for-loans-and-gm-issues-going-concern-notice/#comment-99029 noel park Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:53:24 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1552#comment-99029 #169 The Grump: Yeah, me too. #169 The Grump:

Yeah, me too.

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