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CEO Promises GM Has New Vehicles That Will Blow You Away

May 17th, 2009 | Posted in: Next Generation

Facing a fast approaching deadline of June 1st by which GM either restructures or enters bankruptcy, GM CEO Fritz Henderson took to he web to field questions from the public. There are more Q and As on the Fastlane site, but the following exchanges were particularly interesting.

Henderson was asked by one consumer who needs to replace his first generation Prius, why he should “wait” for the Volt.

Henderson responded “I would love to take you out of your prius! so why wait for the volt? the car will be beautiful, a great driving experience, and if you commute less than 40 miles per day, the car should deliver a totally electric experience to the owner without using any gas at all.”

Next he was asked what GM has planned for its next green initiative beyond the Volt and 2-mode plugin. Henderson wrote “the volt needs to be launched by year end 2010, which means we still have work in front of us. we have a separate team looking at gen II erev technologies while looking at other potential vehicle applications. alongside the volt we have a host of other technology initiatives underway, from second gen biofuels, to hybrids, etc.”

Finally Henderson was asked about how GM will flesh out its new lower number of brands and what each brand’s flagships might be.

He replied “We have big product and technology plans for all our brands. Chevrolet is already loaded with great cars, crossovers and trucks with a lot more coming like the Cruze, Spark and Orlando – and of course, the Volt. And we’ve got some great new Cadillacs, as well as Buicks and GMC cars in trucks in the works. Each week I join our Design chief Ed Welburn, the head of GM Product Development Tom Stephens and a few others to tour GM design and look at future cars and trucks. It’s great to be reminded what this business is all about, and it fills me with optimism about the new GM. I promise you that we have new vehicles that will blow you away.”

Source (GM)

Posted by: Lyle

78 Responses to “CEO Promises GM Has New Vehicles That Will Blow You Away”

David K (CT) Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 9:24 am

1st!

Excellent, blow us away with the Volt!

I’ll take mine in Blue.

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BillR Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 9:35 am

This will truly be interesting.

Besides the Volt and Converj, I hope we see a CUV or luxury car with the Voltec system.

We have discussed the SRX as a possible variant with 2-mode and plugin capability. Here is an excellent review of the upcoming SRX:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090516/OPINION03/905160306/1149/2010-Cadillac-SRX-has-luxury-and-unexpected-performance

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MarkinWI Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 9:37 am

Wish he’d have, I don’t know, given a preview of what might blow me away. It might also prevent me from, I don’t know, replacing one of my two aging cars with a competitor while I wait for the Volt. Right now, if Congress passes the Cash for Clunkers, I’m probably taking my wife’s Xterra to the Ford dealership and trading it for an Escape Hybrid.

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Luke Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 9:50 am

Mr. Henderson,

Is there any chance of seeing some new technology in a compact pickup truck?

I have a 1998 RWD Ford Ranger with 178k miles, and I’d love to replace it — but every time I look at a new compact pickup truck, I come away reminded that this size of vehicle has been exempt from any updates over the last decade. I then realize that I’d, essentially, be paying $25k for the same vehicle that I have, and that I could make my old truck look new again for $3k at the body shop. I’m a DIY type, so having one of these things around is amazingly useful.

Here are some things that would make me consider buying a new compact pickup:

* All-wheel-drive. Driving a RWD truck in the rain requires extra care, and if I owned a 4WD, I think I’d be reluctant to put it in 4WD for a little rain. A full-time all wheel drive setup like the Subaru Legacy would be a perfect fit for this vehicle, especially since the loading of the vehicle varies so much.
* A turbodiesel engine. I owned a Jetta TDI for a while. The torque and consistent MPG of a small turbodiesel ould be ideal for a small truck, especially since the loading of the vehicle can vary so widely. My Ranger gets 25mpg under ideal conditions — but I’ve seen it get down to the 15mpg range if I’m hauling something heavy a long distance. Also, I’d feel a lot better about my activities if they’re powered by Illinois-grown biodiesel than imported oil, or even E85.
* Hybrid/ER-EV drivetrain. This doesn’t require much explanation on the GM-Volt blog, but any hybrid pickup truck should include a power-takeoff so that I can run power tools and/or use the truck to run my house during a power outage.

Putting these features into a bigger truck is all well and good, but a bigger vehicle wouldn’t fit comfortably in my driveway or into several of the other places I drive regularly. Also, since I’m an efficiency-minded homeowner/DIYer, I’d feel a little silly driving a truck that’s bigger than I need.

I could do all of this with any plugin/alternative-fueled vehicle that can tow a 4′x8′ utility trailer 10 miles to the hardware store. I just have to convince Her that the trailer is less of an eyesore than my truck — but I think time may take care of that one!

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john1701a Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 9:57 am

Not stating PRICE as a priority is a big concern.

In 2011 when rollout begins, the new model Prius will be well established and available at about $21,000. Ford & Honda will be competing for those same consumers, in addition to Toyota itself expanding the plug-in option.

We saw how easily the “nicely under $30,000” was abandoned before, what’s different now to make an even higher price appealing?

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jdsv Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 9:59 am

I can’t wait. I hope they add another grille rib to the Escalade… that would blow my mind.

Does GM want to show real initiative at relatively no cost to themselves? How about putting completely bio-fuel compatible tanks and lines in every single diesel vehicle they make and ADVERTISE that they’re doing it. That would ever-so-slightly stick it to the oil companies, and be amazing PR! It’d be a small step, and one that they couldn’t rest their laurels on (they’d get eaten alive if they tried), but actively trying to take business from the oil companies and raising awareness of biodiesel would be great.

And down the road, maybe we could get some BioD and natgas hybrids, for _all_ vehicle types, yeah? It’s got to start somewhere.

NPNS!! =D~~

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jdsv Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 10:21 am

Oh, one last thing – does anybody else cringe anytime the Orlando is mentioned? Why Chevy thought they needed ANOTHER over-priced does-everything-but-nothing-well vehicle is beyond me. They just came out with the Traverse, whose price tag as unnecessarily heavy as the car, and so I guess we need another one with Dodge styling – at low extra cost to the consumer!

Henderson mentioned ‘it’ while talking about green initiatives, so maybe it _will_ turn out to be a family e-flex, but until the car is here that’s all hearsay. There’s not much ‘initiative’ beyond the Volt.. everything’s progressing so mildly in such vanilla fashion that it’s easy to see why GM is so far behind, headed toward bankruptcy.

Oh well. I guess I need only purchase _one_ vehicle from them, not their entire line of sedan function / truck size ‘crossovers’ and NOhybrids. Since the Voltecs/e-flexes are not required to ’stand on their own feet’, offset the cost of the Volt to the Converj and let’s get moving!

NPNS. =D~~

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Redeye Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 10:22 am

Go GM !

& Lotsa Luck.

There will be a lot of competition.

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tBay Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 10:29 am

I wanna see a Voltec vehicle for each one of GM’s core brands.

-Chevy: Volt (mainstream family sedan)
-Buick: Electra? (premium ‘upscale’ sedan)
-GMC: ??? (compact EREV truck)
-Cadillac: Converj (luxury-performance coupe)

All by 2015. : )

I also wanna see Buick absorb the Saturn VUE (along with it’s green technology) to make a compact Buick CUV. Along with the Chinese Regal and the delta-based Buick. Before 2013.

I wanna see a style/technology infused Cadillac…with a production Sixteen one day and a reborn Escalade…

I wanna see GM’s next-gen hybrid system! BAS+! I wanna see it applied to their entire line-up.

I wanna see a mind-blowing all new Corvette C7 in a few more years.

I wanna see a budget hybrid to compete with the Insight and the Prius.

I wanna see a couple unique products for GMC.

I’m excited for the new GM as well! Good luck! ; )

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Fritz The Liar Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 10:31 am

This clown is making misleading statements out his yahoo. Driving less than 40 miles without using ANY gas at all. Oh Puleeeeez. Everyone and his brain dead dog knows that the Volt will periodically cycle the engine on/off no matter what. This CEO is just as lame as the last one.

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George K Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 10:39 am

I would like to see use of smart materials. Remember that video that came out on materials that can change shape. A great example is the grill, or other air intake. Open when engine is hot and closes when not needed.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=119914

“…installed on new cars and trucks by 2010.”!!!

What new car is coming out in 2010? Oh yea, the Volt!

=D~~~~

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statik Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 10:39 am

CEO promises GM has new vehicles that will blow you away:

“We have big product and technology plans for all our brands”
“Each week I…tour GM design and look at future cars and trucks.”
“I promise you that we have new vehicles that will blow you away.”
————–

What is this thing I see in front of me?
It looks like a barrel…someone left a big barrel here.
Wait…there is something in it!
What are all of those? Are they fish?
I think they are!

…however, in the spirit of the good vibes that come from a long weekend (for Canadians), I choose not to give Fritz the ‘death of a thousand papercuts’ on this daydream.

/have a good one

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SOLO Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 10:42 am

6: jdsv:

I think the biggest problem with advertising a diesel as biofuel compatable is there is not nationally (federal standard) for bio diesel. There are many standards, but none to my knowledge are regulated by the EPA.

This puts a burden on the manufacturer because they cannot be guaranteed about the quality of fuel going into their vehicles. Older diesel engines, (mechanically fuel injected) are pretty hearty beasts and can drink almost anything from what my bio diesel home brew buddies tell me. NEW engines with electronic fuel injection (Common rail in diesel speak) are far more sensitive to the quality of fuel. The very newest engines coming out have a secondary catalytic converter in the exhaust and a special liquid called ‘diesel exhaust fluid’ must be used. This fluid is stored in a secondary tank and injected into the exhaust stream in front of the second catalytic converter. Basically new diesel engines will have a conventional catalytic converter, a secondary catalytic converter, and a particulate filter. Can you imagine the warranty claims when somebody puts in a bio diesel product from some non standard manufacturer? I can understand their point why they don’t certify their engines to run on bio diesel until a national standard is both established and ENFORCED.

I know people are successfully using different blends of bio diesel, but as a car manufacturer, you have to be damn sure the fuel blends will not damage the engine.

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Edwin Mang Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 10:43 am

I have one word for you .

YEP !!!!!!!!!!

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john1701a Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 10:50 am

Study history.

We’ve already been through this several times. Two-Mode & BAS are readily available examples. Too much emphasis on one aspect or another resulted in a product with limited sales.

That happy balance in the middle typically does not “blow you away“. But it does get you to pry open the wallet.

What makes this new proclaimant different?

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Arty Deception Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 10:57 am

GM recently registered two surprising websites that tell it all.
Notice how they so skillfully avoided using the word bankruptcy.

gm-restructuring.com and gmrestructuring.com

That’s right you know what’s coming. Don’t believe a word out of these deceitful executives. They are going down.

Warning! Do NOT buy your next car from a bankrupt company.

You have been warned.

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George K Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 10:59 am

#15
“Study history.”
- – - – - – - – -

Is there a Volt in your future?

=D~~~~

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john1701a Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 11:00 am

without using any gas at all
_____________

Reading that is troubling.

Routine housekeeping will occur from time to time. Not much gas will be used for that, but it will indeed be more than the absolute stated.

For those of us in the north, pretty much every single time we start the vehicle when leaving from the work parking lot during the winter some gas will be used for the warm-up process.

Why promote “no” gas knowing statements like that can come back to haunt you later?

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Dave K. Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 11:05 am

I’ll start by saying that I’m not in a great mood this morning.

Last I checked GM stock was at 1937 levels, $1.07 a share. And a hefty percent of GM dealerships were being closed. The shipment of the new Camaro was being delayed. And news is that the UAW will end up owning a large share of a restructured GM.

I am going to give Mr, Henderson the benefit of the doubt on his plans for the future. They will eventually be full filled or mucked.

Former CEO, Mr Wagoner, gave delightfully sunny reports each month from the time GM was in the black by $40 billion, until now where GM has reversed it’s fortune.

My honest opinion is that the Volt is going be available one day. I feel this will be later than November of 2010. And I believe it will be the 3rd or 4th EREV available to the buying public.

Please, Mr. Henderson, prove me wrong.

=D~

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ccombs Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 11:06 am

So much for under-promising and over-delivering… I’m glad GM looks (if things turn out as promised) like it will have a lineup of cars that are all fairly solid in a year or two, like Ford (a recent achievement) and Toyota. I’ll only be “blown away” if GM puts Voltec in more vehicles much faster than anticipated, and drives the cost waay down. I want to see

Smallest -
Puma NEV
a voltec and EV version of the spark
Orlando voltec
cruze voltec + medium-strong hybrid (cheap, like the insight)
Volt
Malivolt + strong hybrid (like ford fusion)
Equinox crossover Voltec + strong hybrid
Voltec small truck?
-largest

And of course the caddy converj and buick electra

I can dream can’t I get to work GM!

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iRoc Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 11:06 am

Toyota doesn’t get it … WE WANT ELECTRIC VEHICLES … NPNS!!!

Fritz seems to get it … but we’re only willing to put up with ICE range extenders until ELECTRICAL STORAGE is cheap/light/fast-charge enough.

Re: EREV TRUCKS … Raser Technologies has developed a Hummer/Sierra/F-150/Ram EREV DRIVETRAIN for light trucks … GM, the gauntlet has been thrown.
http://www.rasertech.com/

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Rog Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 11:08 am

Lot of talk, but no volt to be seen. Volt a car you can only drive 40
miles on electricity. Why only 40 miles. Batteries are there that will take the car 100 Miles. I will wait for a car that I can drive around the
city without the use of gas..

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Mike D Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 11:10 am

CRUZE HYBRID

CRUZE HYBRID

CRUZE HYBRID

If done right with a decent(two-mode or newer) full hybrid system and a 1.4L turbo, it could match the insight or prius in mileage.

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Akio Toyoda Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 11:12 am

I would not hesitate to buy the new improved Toyota Prius. It will blow you away, today!. Why wait for the Volt, it could be a very very long wait. Toyota still has many new vehicles in the pipeline that will blow your mind. When the Volt finally (if ever) show up on actual car lots and the few remaining Chevy dealerships they advanced battery we are working on will have arrived and will totally obliterate the Volt performance. My advice is to save your money and get ready for some serious Volt alternative vehicles from the world’s largest and most advanced automotive corporation.

Mr. Toyoda thanks you for your time and consideration. As a friendly reminder, we at Toyota will never let our customers down, unlike General Motors.

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tBay Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 11:18 am

#16 “Warning! Do NOT buy your next car from a bankrupt company.”

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with buying your next car from GM (when/if it files for bankruptcy protection) or Chrylser (currently in bankruptcy protection). The federal government is backing the warranties for each company and both companies will continue to operate “business as normal”.

These companies are RESTRUCTURING genius, not going out of business forever.

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Tagamet Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 11:24 am

john1701a said:
“without using any gas at all
_____________
Reading that is troubling.
Routine housekeeping will occur from time to time. Not much gas will be used for that, but it will indeed be more than the absolute stated.
For those of us in the north, pretty much every single time we start the vehicle when leaving from the work parking lot during the winter some gas will be used for the warm-up process.
Why promote “no” gas knowing statements like that can come back to haunt you later?”

************************************************************************************
“The envelope please. And now for the Award for the largest Knot-picker of the century…….
If the amount of gas used by the Volt pre or during the 40 miles all electric is “troubling”, please stay away from newspapers.
How much gas does a Prius use in the first 40 miles? Answer: “it depends” Less than the Volt?? I doubt it.
Be well,
Tag
PS Statik – have a great long weekend!

Now more than ever:
LJGTVWOTR!!********NPNS

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Tagamet Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 11:38 am

That’s not knot, that’s knit (g)
Tag

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CorvetteGuy Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 11:42 am

Memo to Fritz:

Bring us an EREV Corvette Stingray!
Not to be the top-end-king-kong-replacement for the ZR-1…
No. No. No.
Make it the “Entry-Level” Corvette for about $45,000.00 placing it just above a fully-loaded Camaro SS.

PPPPLLLLLLEEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSSSSEEEEEEEE ???!!!!!!!!!

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john1701a Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 11:48 am

The envelope please.
____________

Rather than acknowledge that the misrepresentation could lead to disenchantment (lost sales), the discussion is turned on to the credibility of the person instead. That’s typical.

Reality is, the current configuration of Volt has little potential to reach a large market for quite a number of years still.

The “40-mile” requirement is based on statistical measure without disregard to PRICE. How will Volt reach & sustain mainstream sales volume if the price is dramatically higher than competing vehicles?

Is the technology so inflexible that multiple ranges isn’t possible?

Why not offer consumers a choice?

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john1701a Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 12:00 pm

Without regard to PRICE.

Excuse the typo in the previous post. No need to excuse the terse questioning though.

GM is in the business to build & sell vehicles. The number will probably end up being 5 to 6 million per year. For the technology in Volt to only be available as a “40-mile” configuration, how many does GM actually expect to build & sell?

That sure looks like another lack-of-diversity problem in the making.

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Lurtz Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 12:02 pm

A GM vehicle that “blows me away” would be a welcome change.

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john1701a Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 12:22 pm

What does “blows you away” actually mean?

Without any quantitative reference, that could mean anything.

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charlie h Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 12:26 pm

“CEO Promises GM has new vehicles that will blow you away.”

I’ve been reading stuff like this from GM for, literally, 5 decades. In that time, they’ve steadily gone from 50% market share to 20% market share and they have a solid decade of unprofitability behind them as of now.

Only a fool would believe anything GM says. Produce the cars. Then we’ll see.

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Tagamet Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 12:28 pm

john1701a
I think choice is a GREAT thing and the simple fact is that many companies will be fielding many plugins with differing AER’s. I hear that even Toyota may start leasing some (no news on sales). GM chose 40 miles AER for a reasonable expectation of meeting the needs of 75+% of the average driver’s needs. Other companies will differ and that’s good.
How many different AER ranges is Toyota pumping out in the next couple years? That’s not a jab. You are the “all things Prius” knowledgeable guy here, and I’m interested. I am not an anti-Prius fellow – I helped my daughter buy one years ago and it was a great car. Right now, I’m most interested in plugins.
Be well,
Tag

LJGTVWOTR!!********NPNS

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charlie h Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 12:40 pm

Henderson responded “I would love to take you out of your prius! so why wait for the volt? the car will be beautiful, a great driving experience, and if you commute less than 40 miles per day, the car should deliver a totally electric experience to the owner without using any gas at all.”

Henderson apparently doesn’t get it. Right now, there’s 75K orders for the new Prius waiting. People are anticipaing that car and looking forward to it. And Toyota has the capability to build almost 500K of them, so people can have a Prius, if they want, at reasonable cost.

Yet, Henderson ays, Prius intenders can or should “wait for the Volt.” is he nuts? There will be 10K Volts by November of 2011. That’s a h3ll of a long line! Who’s waiting for that? And the car, as far as we can tell, is not cost-competitive with the Prius. $22K vs $32K – or likely more? Toyota sells a car that is midsize on the inside and is very close to the median new price for a car. This is a winning combination.

Also… the Volt will be “beautiful?” It looks like an ordinary compact car except for the raccoon styling details (last seen on a late ’90’s Taurus/Sable – ick). The Prius at least has the benefit of extremely disctinct shape (matched, recently by Honda because it’s THE shape for a wind-cheating car). The Volt is… ordinary.

The Volt, coming in insignificant quantities a year and a half from now at a very high price. Brought to you by the same people that couldn’t make a go of ordinary cars or two different types of hybrids. Yowza. I’m waiting for that.

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Vincent Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 12:42 pm

Ahhhh ! This is a great…no, a Fantastic I told you so!
GM will indeed blow you away with products that will be released. They can not just throw out on the table whats coming up…but it’s coming.

Many of the negative comments from people that come on this site may indeed have the right feeling to say let GM die…let them go bankrupt…etc.
Well, with all the crap GM they made over the years…the negative comments are justified.

However, being a car enthusiast I know in detail just what GM has made in the past. Their capability and very strong talent.

I know they can do this….and they will. I have many times been as frustrated as all of us when I see amazing concepts that WILL pull the other foot from the grave..get canceled or so watered down they simply suck and disappoint. It looks like they have woken up as many of us do when reality hits. It’s do or die for GM. I say they will do it.

I still hope they do build the CONVERJ and similar vehicles that move the SOUL. If you look back…those styles helped make GM what it was and still can be.

The Camaro (though it lost some of it’s edge from the concept) can not be found on lots. I have been traveling back and forth from NY to Texas for personal business and… Not one anywhere and I look hard for them.

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Jerry Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 1:09 pm

Increase the electric range of the Volt to 200 miles, sell it for $25k. That will blow me away.

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CDAVIS Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 2:22 pm

______________________________________________________

GM has a long history of being model crazy.

GM just can’t help itself but to complicate its model offerings; that is in part what has gotten GM into its current troubles. GM trying to launch/support too many models has also gotten them in trouble in the past but apparently GM has no bounds on repeating that same mistake over and over. Toyota has 17 models total:
http://www.toyota.com/modelselector/
I wonder where Toyota would be today if Toyota had 10X their current model offering. Does any one single person in GM know how many models GM is globally peddling? I tried but could not count them all. And we are supposed to be exited that GM is currently working of coming up with more models?

The Voltec Power Train should be a Power Train option for common GM’s models rather than GM developing/supporting additional “Voltec” models that are unique to the Voltec Platform.
______________________________________________________

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Rashiid Amul Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 2:36 pm

It is very important for a company to keep innovating.
It is good that GM is doing so.

Tag, don’t bother responding to John1701a. He can split hairs like no one else can and just loves to argue.

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LauraM Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 2:40 pm

#35 charlie h

Fritz didn’t come out with that on his own. A customer asked him. What did you expect him to say? “Buy your Prius now because odds are you won’t get a Volt until 2013 at the earliest?”

I think the current version of the Volt is very attractive. The converj is gorgeous. But, of course, that’s a matter of taste.

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Dan Petit Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 3:46 pm

Is that Toyota from Toyoda leased as a “claw-back” lease from Toyota?
This means that their battery will not be ready yet to last as long as the GM battery as per a *sale* for a 150,000 mile conservatively-used battery (instead of Toyota’s “cover-up the disadvantages” of and with a lease, lease). Toyota will “fake it” as to overuse I’d bet, of the battery technology within, say, a 3 year lease and represent it as a superior battery supposedly than the GM 10 year 150,000 mile warranted battery I’ll bet. You are paying for 2 batteries with leasing!!
(We were strongly cautioned in church today about “marketers”).
I am not at all impressed unless Toyota releases the exact specs for their battery to be better and why, not just using corporate marketing logistics for a “throw all your lease money away to Toyota” in the most foolish manner if the Toyota supposedly is to hold its value so well.
No one is really fooled around here regarding the tactics of leasing the whole vehicle as a measure to disguise that there is really not anything better over at Toyota when the car is “clawed-back” after the lease is up, so that no-one might easily discover that a 3 year overused battery is about the same thing as a 10 year appropriately-used battery for a 150,000 mile ten year battery warranted Voltec vehicle.
Battery data and specs please?
Dan Petit Austin TX

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JEC Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 3:49 pm

Dear Fritz,

Throw us a bone. Their was ZERO substance. Just replace the reference to any GM product with product X, and it follows generic CEO speak.

Now is a time to give the people an honest look into what GM has up it’s sleeve…or perhaps they are now all going casual, and wear sleeveless dress shirts.

Bummed…

PS: Nice yellow tie! Is this going to be the gold standard now?

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JEC Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 3:54 pm

Dan Petit

Please add a few periods to your sentences. I feel like I am running out of breath while reading your posts.

PS: I am not one to correct grammar or sentence structure, but your last post was grueling.

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john1701a Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 4:06 pm

He can split hairs like no one else can and just loves to argue.
______________________

Insisting on detail gets spun as splitting hars. Hmm. Why is there so much resistance toward looking at specifics?

It’s pretty obvious that the topic which ruffles the most feathers is making an affordable version of Volt. Having multiple model available should be no big deal.

Whatever. The restructure/bankruptcy deadline is just 2 weeks away now. Needs for business & consumer should overcome the current barriers.

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john1701a Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 4:22 pm

Battery data and specs please?
____________________

Ironicly, price has always been very high on Toyota’s priority list.

27kW is the current NiMH battery output for the 60kW motor. So, it’s safe to bet the Li-Ion will be at least that. Again, price is a big influence.

5kWh is very likely to be capacity, since it is the minimum for tax credit eligibility and that size has been working nicely for the Hymotion upgrade.

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Dan Petit Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 4:36 pm

Sorry about that #43.
My long posts might need more than 6 minutes to break up the “run-on” sentences. But I’ll work harder before I first click the “Submit Comment” box.
Thanks for reminding me to do that.
Dan.

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Anthony BC Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 5:19 pm

Fritz, you’re still doing it – misleading the public! Come on!- “if you commute less than 40 miles per day, the car should deliver a totally electric experience to the owner without using any gas at all.”
As #10 reads – “Everyone and his brain dead dog knows that the Volt will periodically cycle the engine on/off no matter what.”
This car is sounding more like a Prius everyday, but at double the price! Get off the “WILL USE NO GAS AT ALL” comment, just say a little gas each week or month depending on the conditions.
Staying on this false information path will come back to haunt GM badly!

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Anthony BC Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 5:28 pm

BTW Fritz, an electric car with 100 mile electric range (like an EV Focus) for $25,000 would BLOW MY MIND AWAY! See if ya got that at GM for 2010 !?!?

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popurls.com // popular today Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
BrIce MN Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 6:26 pm

Will they be making them in the US of A?. Last I heard they are making a large investment in factories in China and closing factories here. I don’t like the idea of US bailout cash used to build factories overseas.

Get the info out there.

GM will close plants here.
GM will make cars in China
GM will import cars into the US
GM will structure profits overseas.
GM will make major contributions to China tax revenues.
GM will shrink workforce in US
GM will shink US tax libilities.
GM will pay alot to it’s big shots
GM will do all of this with US tax dollars.
GM will be like any other foriegn car importers, execept we pay for it.
GM = Give Money

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charlie h Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 7:10 pm

Rumor has it the next vehicle into production that will “blow you away” is the Aveo SS! That will be one sweet ride! The Aveo SS will feature:

Low-profile Chome wheels
Dual chrome exhaust tips
Insignia shifter
Leftover fender vents from the soon-to-be-terminated Pontiac G3 program.
Ultra Black paint
Bold white “SS” insignia in 8 different places.

Automatic only.

Yes! Sign me up!

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CDAVIS Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 7:35 pm

______________________________________________________
Follow up to my above #38 CDAVIS:

Dear GM Management,
Please spend some time on Toyota’s Model Selector Page: http://www.toyota.com/modelselector/ .

That Toyota page allows a prospective customer to easily view ALL the available Toyota models on a single page and filter down the models by price/mpg/#passengers/etc; Very straight forward. The GM model lineup is so convoluted both in terms of number of available models (makes, models, trim levels, options, options on options, yada, yada, yada) and site navigation, that a consumer is required to traverse over 100 web pages to get the same model information Toyota provides on a single page. If GM is serious about being competitive it needs to get serious about presenting a total model lineup that is easily understandable. As it stands now, you guys are in La La Land with regards to your model lineup.

I want to see GM succeed. I’m a huge fan of the Voltec Program.

Please get familiar with KISS…it can be your friend.
______________________________________________________

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Joe Toyota Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 7:35 pm

They said the amazing Cobalt P.O.S. would blow us away too ..

If American manufacturers can figure out a way to keep the vehicle from having to be repaired on an annual basis (And I don’t care about warranty) .. its annoying having my car die on me, or not being able to drive my new car cuz its in the shop all the time.

My last two Toyota’s have gone over 300,000 miles with only the brakes needing work. I had an amazing Pontiac once, called a Fiero. It blew me away, and all the money I had with it. Actually it caught on fire too. What great engineering.

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flapper Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 7:44 pm

yep , those chinese made gm’s will blow you away……literally.

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Roer Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 7:51 pm

It’s not about what new cars you have to wow us. IT’S QUALITY. Not initial quality, but long lasting quality.

No one at GM has ever talked quality in a way that would make you think they are going to make it past 3yrs 36000 miles.

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lou P Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 8:12 pm

what the heck have they been doing all these years? How long has it been since GM blown anyone away (in a good sense?)
Why now? Frankly, we should sell or give the business to Toyota (who probably wouldn’t take it) and let them keep what they want and discard the rest.

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eightzero Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 9:04 pm

Great. GM says “I will pay you gladly tuesday for a cheeseburger today.” All these years you’ve had to make cars to blow us away. We’re waiting.

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Fresh From Twitter | Nic-the Habit: Smoking Cessation and Medical News Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
GeorgeB Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 9:34 pm

I don’t expect to be “blown away” by anything that GM has to offer. I expect quality transportation at a reasonable price. The Fisker Karma might “blow me away” but I would NEVER spend that kind of money on a car.

All GM has to do is live up to their promise with the Volt and I will be satisfied. The way Toyota and Honda are going, though, the tax credits may have all been used up by the time the Volt gets on the road, putting it out of my price range. That would be a shame.

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Cautious Fan Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 10:21 pm

Ford’s future is looking even brighter. Not sure how “sticky” Ford’s brand improvement is, but it’s definitely noticeable now.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090501/AUTO01/905010429

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Cautious Fan Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 10:31 pm

I’m puzzled. How has Ford managed to get all kind of concession out of the UAW, while GM and Chrysler required bankruptcy threats?

A possible theory…since the Ford family has super votes and controls the board, they could decline a gov’t loan and head straight for bankruptcy, especially now knowing how the gov’t treats capital. The Ford family would not allow their control to be diluted, and can enforce this through their control of the board. UAW knows this, and lacking a sugar daddy, gives in sooner.

Not really an expert on the Ford’s families level of control, but the differences between the companies is striking and puzzling to me. Maybe Ford awesome cash pile helps them here, but I don’t see how. I’m hoping for a good book on the entire saga in a few years.

(Quote)
Sheet4brains Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 11:14 pm

Where are these cars that will blow me away ?
They sure aren’t on any GM lot that I have been to.
Must be hidden at GM development. Too bad. You can’t sell them from there Mr. Fritz.
Stupid bean counter mentality. This dude is obviously not a “car guy”.

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Luke Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 11:28 pm

Wow, 60-some comments about a car “blowing you away”, and no references to the Ford Pinto!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Pinto#Safety_problems_and_scandal

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Lurtz Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 12:36 am

#52 CDavis

Second that.

(It’s actually a fault of marketing and website design, and not a problem with the cars themselves… but the point stands)

(Quote)
omnimoeish Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 1:17 am

They said the amazing Cobalt P.O.S. would blow us away too ..

If American manufacturers can figure out a way to keep the vehicle from having to be repaired on an annual basis (And I don’t care about warranty) .. its annoying having my car die on me, or not being able to drive my new car cuz its in the shop all the time.

My last two Toyota’s have gone over 300,000 miles with only the brakes needing work. I had an amazing Pontiac once, called a Fiero. It blew me away, and all the money I had with it. Actually it caught on fire too. What great engineering.
___________________________________________________
Ha ha, my friend has 2005 Chevy Cobalt with 40,000 miles on it. He’s already had to replace the transmission under warranty and he replaced the clutch himself (although it still cost $1,000) when that went out and they wouldn’t cover it under the warranty. He’s also had tons of other things go wrong on it, most not covered by the warranty. Not bad for a 4 year old American car. I’m excited to see what that car is like in 10 years. The car has depreciated so fast, he owes over twice as much on it as the car is worth. He could probably get $5,500 for it and he owes $11,500. The sad thing is that GM probably spent an extra $4,000 more to make that car than they sold it for when it was new. In a nut shell, that story is what’s wrong with GM.

Then I have another friend who just replaced the fuel pump in their 5 year old Dodge Caravan. That cost almost $1,000. I’m starting to wonder if the reliability of the new American cars isn’t even as good as they were 10 years ago (and that’s saying something).

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Frank B Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 1:25 am

I’m waiting for the GM design team to blow me away. But, so far it’s a no go in style, boldness, and the wow factor. They did come close with the Converj, but the production Converj will most likely end up a yawner like the Volt.

I’m waiting….Please blow my mind, PLEASE!

(Quote)
The Grump Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 3:34 am

Hey Fritz, wanna blow me away? How about a 10 year, 100,000 mile drivetrain, 5 year, 50,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty on all new Chevys? Hmmmmmmmm?

This really worked for Hyundai from the 1990’s through today. Their Hyundai Excel in the 1990’s was crap, and everyone knew it. They dropped the Excel, and created new models with much improved quality. But the 100,000 mile warranty is what put them where they are today – everywhere.

If you build a quality product, a warranty costs very little, compared to the huge increase in sales. What is GM telling me today ?

“We trust our cars to go 3 years or 36,000 miles. Beyond that, we’re not going to guarantee your new Chevy won’t drop dead at 36,001 miles. Please buy our car.”

Nice sales pitch, eh? As long as GM management has it’s old Detroit mind-set (we tell YOU what you want), bankruptcy is assured – and that may not save GM in the end.

I’m tired of words from a CEO. Prove to me that I can trust GM products – a 10 year, 100,000 mile drivetrain, 5 year, 50,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty would do that.

(Quote)
Rashiid Amul Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 4:07 am

John1701a # 44

Here is the splitting hairs part.
You quote, out of context in #18, “without using any gas at all”
And then go on to complain this is misleading.

The actual quote is, ““I would love to take you out of your prius! so why wait for the volt? the car will be beautiful, a great driving experience, and if you commute less than 40 miles per day, the car should deliver a totally electric experience to the owner without using any gas at all.”

Notice the word should.

Of course the car may use gas under 40 miles. But in 2010-2011 time frame, what plug-in is going to have that range with EREV and be somewhat affordable? The Volt.

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EcoGeek Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 7:24 am

So, when I hear that GM’s vehicle will Blow Me Away, this is what I picture, a propane powered vehicle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyyCcjbrWOM

I can’t wait!

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Herm Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 8:58 am

The basic 2009 Chevy Cobalt is $12k new (there are some incentives), does your friend have the SS model by chance?.. does he peel out at every corner?

I dont dispute any of this, I have no idea how reliable Cobalts are.. a very interesting rice burner:

http://www.abc15.com/content/news/autos/story/Chevy-Cobalt-SS-Sizzles-From-The-Start/ZAhuUbgcBUiEBsuGn4RRUQ.cspx
…………………………..

#65 omnimoeish Says:

Ha ha, my friend has 2005 Chevy Cobalt with 40,000 miles on it. He’s already had to replace the transmission under warranty and he replaced the clutch himself ..
.. The car has depreciated so fast, he owes over twice as much on it as the car is worth. He could probably get $5,500 for it and he owes $11,500.

(Quote)
CDAVIS Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 9:27 am

______________________________________________________

#63 Luke Said:

“#52 CDavis
Second that.
(It’s actually a fault of marketing and website design, and not a problem with the cars themselves… but the point stands)”
———

The GM website design is convoluted and tortures any normal consumer that ventures to gm.com to research GM’s model lineup. But GM’s model lineup itself contributes to the problem because:

1. GM has created overlapping models across the Makes; models that are basically identical except for the Make labeling. This blurs the category differential between the makes which weakens each Makes category position.

2. Too many Makes and Models. The GM Make lineup needs to be narrowed down no more than 3 Makes and no more than 20 Models across all Makes.

3. Trim Levels and Options per each model is beyond overly complex; needs to be simplified in a very big way. Offer a max of three trim levels per each model and drop ALL the options. GM’s current VIN Code system invites most GM pre-owned cars to be listed online at the basic level sans upgraded trim levels. The trim levels should be identifiable within the VIN Code to allow better retailing on the online pre-owned side which will provide better residual car value which in turn will provide a perception that GM cars maintain thier values.

The automakers that will survive in the future will be those that have the discipline to intelligently keep their portfolio line focused, coherent, and easily marketable online. Each additional model added to the portfolio causes a dilution of finite organizational resources to support each model therefore not constraining the total amount of managed models provides advantage to the other automakers (such as Toyota) that are more focused on getting a fewer number of models correct.
______________________________________________________

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tim Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 10:38 am

I have questions?

Why did GM change the orignial concept look to a prius look?

Why is Karma using the same powerplant concept GM is for the volt and the karma car looks better than the volt and it gets 10mpec (miles per electric charge) more than the volt?

So I purchase a volt, what happens when I fill the tank with gas and then never uses the fuel because I drive less than 20 miles per day with recharge every night? Does the Gas go bad? Does the engine fuel injectors clog up with lack of use? Will i have to invest in additional fuel treatment to prevent such problems? Does it have a switch where I can disable the electric only mode and run the car on Gas (at least once per month) to run out the fuel before the fuel goes bad?

Will GM have more choices in fuel for the backup engine other than Gas? Biofuel, hydrogen, diesel, Propane or Natural Gas? (Natural Gas would be a better equiv. because it won’t clog up or go bad like Gasoline. It could also be generated from a household NG compressor (CNG) in the garage. http://www.fuelmaker.com)

So the Prius replacement batteries cost over 300.00 to replace, what is going to be the cost of the volt’s replacements? Will they have an exchange program to bring the cost down?

What about the volt concept in the Silverado line?

These are just a few issues i have with the volt… I like the concept and I feel we need to move in that direction… and to keep the price down where we don’t feel like we are mortgaging our lives just to drive would be the ultimate goal…

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Dude Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 12:21 pm

It’s my experience that GM vehicles just blow, not blow us away….

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N Riley Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 12:41 pm

“I promise you that we have new vehicles that will blow you away.”
———————————-

So, I take it that they are going to run on air. Blow you away!

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Herm Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 1:53 pm

#72 tim asks:

“Why did GM change the orignial concept look to a prius look?”

They needed better aerodynamics to achieve the 40 mile range on the highway.. the original concept was also too masculine and ugly.. half of all car purchases are decided on a woman’s opinion.. perhaps more.

“Why is Karma using the same powerplant concept GM is for the volt and the karma car looks better than the volt and it gets 10mpec (miles per electric charge) more than the volt?”

No idea, perhaps they are using a bigger battery, perhaps they are discharging the battery deeper at the expense of a shorter life.

“So I purchase a volt, what happens when I fill the tank with gas and then never uses the fuel because I drive less than 20 miles per day with recharge every night?”

GM has stated no additives will be needed.. we have guessed the Volt will use a bladder type gas tank like the Prius.. thus the gas will never be exposed to air. If you need to run the engine for peace of mind, just skip charging the battery for a couple of days. The computer may also periodically start the engine anyways. You should also use a “Top Tier” gasoline such as Shell or Chevron to make sure your injectors are not clogged.

“Will GM have more choices in fuel for the backup engine other than Gas? Biofuel, hydrogen, diesel, Propane or Natural Gas?”

I believe E85 will be ok..

” (Natural Gas would be a better equiv. because it won’t clog up or go bad like Gasoline. It could also be generated from a household NG compressor (CNG) in the garage. http://www.fuelmaker.com)”

The Phil is very expensive, and requires expensive rebuilds every three year.. 78% of the public will never need the range extender during their daily commute, thus spending a lot of money on it does not make sense.

“So the Prius replacement batteries cost over 300.00 to replace, what is going to be the cost of the volt’s replacements?”

Prius battery is around $2500 new, much less from a junkyard. LG charges GM around $8000 per each battery, GM installs in the battery box with added electronics.. so perhaps a replacement pack will be $10-$20k, no idea, probably GM does not know either. Battery warranty will be 10 years/150k miles.. hopefully by that time you should be able to buy aftermarket batteries much cheaper.

“Will they have an exchange program to bring the cost down?”

There will be a heavy demand for used batteries, from many people..

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Battle of the Hybrids Begins | The CarGurus Blog Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
noel park Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 5:27 pm

I can well understand why bloggers would be “from Missouri” when it comes to GM’s new products being as brilliant as Mr. Henderson claims. On the other hand, a bit of optimism is free, and what could it hurt at this difficult time? So my response to Mr. Henderson is:

We look to the day.

Bring it on.

(Quote)
jefro Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 9:57 pm

I want to remove the ICE.

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CEO Promises GM Has New Vehicles That Will Blow You Away

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