All GM needs is a level playing field… the Japanese market is still closed while they sell cars here and pay no US taxes. Our government created the problem by letting this unfair trade go on for so long. 30 years at least. We need a government that helps US industry not put it at a disadvantage by letting foreign companies have huge tax advantages while keeping our products out of their markets.

40 mile range is more than enough for me… I could do without the range extender. Would like to have that option and cost reduction.
The best vehicle I can think of is a 2006 Saturn Vue with Chevy volt technology… so with its larger size and weight it would only get 30miles per charge .. still enough for my 9 mile commute each way to work with stops to the store.

Solo2500nt,

Very convincing. Thanks a lot.
The true is that is such issues, no matter what other say, at tyhe end GM knows better. Again, thanks a lot.

I just hope that the UAW VEBA fund is obligated to eventually convert its equity to other investments, or the equity is either non-voting, or held by proxy by the government until the government is repaid. There is too much ease in voting itself raises, and approving them, that would put the companies back to the same problem they are in now.
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True.—–>

It’s also true there is too much ease in government officials (state and federal) voting itself raises and approving them also.

It’s also true there is too much ease in government officials (federal) printing dollars by the trillions to buy votes for the next election cycle regardless of the future consequences.

You are spot on.

That mental midget will never suffer the pain and itch of Hemorrhoids. He is a genuine PERFECT cloacal cavity.

Nor will his mental deficiencies ever be cured. Why is it that Hollyweird produces so many many narcissistic people with more money then Brains, who think their excrement doesn’t stink?

On to this subject:
From an Engineer’s perspective the EREV architecture may never scale to very large vehicles, at a reasonable cost. So there is a need for a compound hybrid architecture.

The Vue and SRX are Theta platform small SUVs. So the Cadillac SRX dual mode would take essentially a weeks worth of time, no more.

But in reality they should downsize the engine to the 3.0 liter HF v6 DI or even offer a smaller one like 2.8 liters. The electric motors will boost the HP back up, to tow 3500 #s, in conjunction with the smaller engine. it would raise the fuel economy,while still providing Cadillac a refined platform, with effortless power.

I don’t know how difficult it would be to port to the Equinox-Terrain platform. But there I would move to the 2.4 L DI power-plant, in conjunction with the dual mode. You want to get up to at least the mileage of the Escape Hybrid or exceed it, and remove the stigma that the dual mode only achieves 20 mpg, as it does in the 3 and a half ton trucks and BOF gigantic SUVs. installed to date. This has to be done to show that GM can more than match Ford and Toyota at their own game,and then use the Volt-Converj to magnify the leap frog advantage of EREV architecture.

I went looking for the description of the engine layouts for the Theta based Vue-SRX, and the platform for th Equinox-Terrain. Is it horizontal or longitudinal engine mounting when in FWD mode? Are both the same?

If they are, the same I would think that the problem adapting would not be hard. If different it would be more difficult.

Does any one know? i looked cursorily through the net and the reviews are not clear at all.

With regard to the Chrysler BK.

This is really an argument over a tiny amount of money. The government will pay more for the DIP financing than if it payed off the remaining recalcitrant 30% of the debt at 100% on the dollar. The whole argument is over less than a $1+ billion dollars. It only 1+ billion versus $300 million.

The feds are obviously using Chrysler as a guinea pig for the bigger GM BK to come. Personally I think they wan to go to BK and crush the recalcitrants as a warning to GMs debt holders. while at it they would like to handle the dealer downsizing too. The damn legal leeches will bill more than that!

In retrospect Kudos to Senator Corker.

Last fall saw the need for this and these actions, tough as they are. It was his leadership that will lead to a necessary restructuring for both corporations that will allow the NA automotive companies to prosper again.

I just hope that the UAW VEBA fund is obligated to eventually convert its equity to other investments, or the equity is either non-voting, or held by proxy by the government until the government is repaid. There is too much ease in voting itself raises, and approving them, that would put the companies back to the same problem they are in now.

However, given the 2 mode adds a lot of weight to an already heavy vehicle, the 3.6 v6 may actually deliver better fuel economy, strange as it may seem.

The 2 mode hybrid in the Chevy Tahoe uses the 6.0L engine instead of the 5.3L. During testing, GM found the 6.0L got better combined mileage because it could use its multi displacement system (4 of 8 cylinders shut off) more often. If the 3.6 is equipped with a similar MDS the remaining 3 cylinders would be equal to a 1.8L engine in those circumstances.

Not sure if it would work out that way in the real world but I do know my 2.2L 4 cylinder Saturn L series got almost identical mileage as my 3.0L V6 Saturn on the highway at 80 mph. And it was a heck of a lot faster off the line. Only in town did the 4 outperform the 6 by a couple MPG.

It’s not holding a grudge… GM, Chrysler and Ford vehicles are consistently rated less reliable than Toyota or Hona vehicles by sources I trust. If they were apparently equal, Toyota has earned my confidence. Why would I switch? Should I cultivate an anti-Japanese bias?

In fact, I still have a pro-American bias. When there aren’t other factors to consider, I look for “Made in America” on products. But my pro-America bias includes taking care of one American thing that’s near and dear to my hip – my wallet.

School Bus: If you are hauling them to school in your car for status, or because you let your kids bully you around, shame on you. Who is the parent and who is the child? If I was doing it because I feared for the safety of my child, I would move. But that is just me….

Letterman: He is a comedian, and I am fine with that. When any of them try to use their shows as a forum to advance an agenda, without having anyone else around to give an opposing view, and especially when it is obvious he has no idea what he is talking about, I just change the channel. His is hardly a news show!

Anti USA car bias: OK, back in the 70’s, 80’s, and maybe even the early 90’s I think you could make a general statement that the cars from the USA Big-3 were pretty junky. But how long do you hold a grudge? For the last 15 years, I think the products from Ford, GM, and Chrysler have been very good. This is not to say that there have not been lemons made. But that happens with every manufacturer. To simply ignore entire car lines because you had a bad one in 1975, seems kind of silly to me. When I am looking, I always go to every lot to see what they have that might fit my needs.

JMHO

I’m not a fan of Letterman’s. Just posting the vid. His control freak demeanor shows when he’s got somebody really funny (or interesting) who gets on a roll. Dave squirms around and can’t stand it. The whole show is probably very scripted (or outlined), I doubt if much of anything out of his mouth is ever actually “off the cuff”, he’d just like you to think that. Too bad Paar and Carson are long gone.

Charlie H. @ 84,

I agree. Kids should ride the bus. CaptJack may be in a unique situation, but lots of parents don’t have kids ride the bus because it’s a “status” thing. Kind of sad. Regardless of what you or I think, most parents won’t suffer a status symbol change to save gas.

WessonHiggins @ 80

The offshore conference sounds interesting. I saw one of those deepwater spaceship monsters while it was under construction at port. It was awesome.
If you see Boone backed up to the bar with a glass of Jack Daniels in his hand telling tales of natural gas in Louisiana, give him a Yo and a fist tap from me. (Go Pokes!)
Have fun at the party

Rust never sleeps.