UPDATE: GMBlogs and Twitter

I noticed that GM took the highest percentage in a certain vehicle reliability category in the latest April edition of Consumer Reports magazine. GM is continuing to get the recognition that they so rightly deserve. By refusing to stray from the processes and metrics that have been established, GM will continue to have similar showings for years to come.

The category - "worst of the worst" reliability. The winner - GM, with 18 out of 32 entries. From 1998 to 2007, 56% of the "worst of the worst" are GM vehicles. This is not perception or spin - this is the reality from your (previous) customers.

Please thank Bo in his unending quest to drive this organization to find cost reductions. He personally is responsible for this result by taking the focus away from where it should be - quality and performance. No longer are GM employees free to design and engineer great cars and trucks. It's all about finding cost reductions. This poor result will be his legacy. How many more BILLIONS must GM lose before the company changes focus? Hello - anybody listening????

Bob, can you get rid of the people at your company who are fouling up this blog?

Theoretically, this blog should be BY people who like cars FOR people who like cars.

The past few weeks, this blog has become less like a useful and informative blog about GM cars and more like a vanity project by people who are just here to fill out their resume before going to write the leisure section of a newspaper.

BRING BACK THE CAR FANS!

Whoa, John! Our last few posts have been all about cars! Most recently we have done posts about the Opel Meriva, our new hybrid system, the Pontiac G8, as well as a few posts answering questions about our vehicles. Not sure where you're coming from here.

GM has blinked they are back to sellling the deal instead of the product

Adam Denison, said: "...as well as a few posts answering questions about our vehicles."

Mr Dension,

You seem very selective about which questions you choose to answer.

Regards,

Gary Dikkers

Gary,

I'm sorry we can't answer every single question we get on this blog. We just have to choose the ones that most reflect what our readers want to know.

Mr. Denison, could you please answer this question, I'm sure a lot of people would like to know.
Why can't I use my GM car credits to buy a Saturn ? Saturn is either a GM marque or not, it seems to be included under GM or not depending on a whim.

We just have to choose the ones that most reflect what our readers want to know."

Just going out on a limb here Mr Denison, but I'd guess the ones that most reflect what your readers want to know are the questions your readers take the trouble to ask.

Has anyone seen the new Pontiac ad's about them being so CAR? Apparently, there is some reason to try to give a new meaning to the word car, and refer to it as "CAR".

This has got to be the absolute worst ad campaign that I've seen in a while - and the sad thing is it is also being used on the new G8.

Have the beancounters cost reduced the Pontiac ad agency as well? It sure looks like it.

What follows in a communication that I received in my email today- I get these updates because I was one of many who wrote to make suggestions for changes to the originally proposed Automotive X-Prize rules (specifically, I suggested rules changes allowing for tandem seating and tilting 3-wheel vehicles, such as the original GM "Lean Machine").

(It isn't too late for GM to put together a team to design and build a couple of 100+mpg prototypes using off-the-shelf, mostly GM parts. You can bet the Asian competition is...)

Verbatim:

"Hello All:

"The Automotive X PRIZE Team is pleased to send you the following update about the prize:

AXP PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

"The Automotive X PRIZE will make an important announcement about the prize at the New York International Auto Show at 1 PM EDT (time subject to change) on Thursday, March 20th, 2008 during the second media day of the show. Stay tuned – exciting details will be revealed!

"If you happen to be in New York, you are welcome to visit us at our booth in the Crystal Palace at Jacob Javits Convention Center for our 20 minute announcement on March 20th or at any time during the public days of the show from March 21st – March 30th. As the Crystal Palace is publicly-accessible, credentials are not required to attend our announcement.

"Shortly following the announcement, we will post video, photos and a press release on our website for those of you unable to attend in person.

CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT

"On Wednesday, February 6th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution in support of the Automotive X PRIZE and the X PRIZE Foundation (full text of the related congressional record and resolution).

"This resolution follows other recent letters of support including California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Houston Mayor Bill White, and the Sierra Club. These supporters join an already impressive and diverse list of supporters which we are confident will grow before and after our public announcement.

RECENT COVERAGE IN THE MEDIA

"We continue to receive positive coverage in various publications. A true highlight was the January cover story of Wired Magazine, an in-depth article on the AXP and several of our teams.

"Other recent coverage includes:

· Popular Mechanics

· The Independent

· BBC

· Consumer Reports

DETROIT AUTO SHOW RESULTS

"Much of this recent media coverage followed our presence at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit in January. We had a booth on the concourse at that show, highlighting our LOI teams and building excitement in the media for our March announcement. Here are two videos from our booth:

· Team Highlights

· The Race for Our Future

RFP FOR HOST CITIES

"We used our presence at this year’s NAIAS to showcase the innovations of our early entrants and to announce a Request for Proposal (RFP) for U.S. cities interested in hosting a stage of the 2009-2010 race competition. We have already met with many city leaders, who are excited about the prospect of participating in this very important component of the competition.

GROWING PARTICIPATION IN LETTER OF INTENT PROGRAM

"Our Letter of Intent (LOI) program is flourishing. There are now more than 60 teams from 10 countries. The doors to this competition remain open, and our talks with large auto manufacturers continue. We look forward to seeing the full field of competitors when team registration opens in spring.

UPCOMING WORK ON AXP RULES

"There is still more work to be done before our rules are final. We are working through the subjects covered in our publicly-release Guidelines Revision Topics document. We plan to release final guidelines in spring, opening team registration at that time.

"In closing, we hope that you are as excited as we are about this prize and our recent progress.

"Best wishes,

The Automotive X PRIZE Team

(Don, John, Cristin, Neal and Bethann)"

Hey Guys,

You should check out the new Pontiac G8 commercial. Older people might not get it, but younger guys (such as myself) certainly will. Very innovative and cool, kudos to Pontiac.

http://jalopnik.com/367806/new-pontiac-g8-gt-commercial-gives-spy-hunter-a-sweet+ass-twist

Common theme, Gary, common theme. If people are asking a lot of the same questions then those are the ones we'll answer.

Randy Williams - "Has anyone seen the new Pontiac ad's about them being so CAR? This has got to be the absolute worst ad campaign that I've seen in a while..."

Concur Randy. The worst. I'd reckon the GM VP who signed off as approving authority on that advert will soon be looking for another position.

"...I'd reckon the GM VP who signed off as approving authority on that advert will soon be looking for another position."

Don't count on it- the guy who signed of on those ads may actually get promoted; after all, Robert McNamara was appointed Secretary of Defense after he signed off on the Edsel...

On the other hand, Lee Iacocca was fired after he signed off on the Mustang.

Detroit is a very bizarre corner of the Universe.

Adam Denison said: "If people are asking a lot of the same questions then those are the ones we'll answer."

Mr Denison,

So if only a single person asks even a really good or relevant question about GM operations or products, you won't deign to answer it?

Sincerely,

Gary Dikkers

I live in a very small town in eastern Oregon, our only new car dealer is a Chevy, Buick, Poniac, Honda dealer. There are about 20 new Hondas on the lot, a couple of Cobalts, a mix of slow selling Pontiac/Buicks and a mix of Chevy's, one new Malibu. I bought a new Solstice, but when I first saw the original cocept and showed it to a salesman , they had no clue and told me they'd never get one. 3 years later, they actually have one in their one car showroom( and a Malibu outside). Is this what you want for your dealers? 1 Soltice and a Malibu and 20 Hondas?

Rick Rohde said: "...when I first saw the original concept and showed it to a salesman, they had no clue and told me they'd never get one. 3 years later, they actually have one in their one car showroom( and a Malibu outside). Is this what you want for your dealers? 1 Soltice and a Malibu and 20 Hondas?"

All the more reason GM and the other U.S. carmakers need to scrap the current model of selling their cars primarily through dealers.

Car buyers should be able to order the exact model and configuration they want over the Internet, arrange for payment, and then have it built to their specs and delivered to their front doors in a matter of days.

Not long ago I shipped a package by FedEx to India. I was able to track that package (in real time) every step of the way until it was delivered to the address I had shipped it to.

If I order a car from GM, I should be able to track the real time progress of that car's construction in the same manner. GM should even invite me to the plant and allow me to watch it being built, and then hand me the keys as it rolls off the production line -- after completing a rigorous quality assurance inspection of course.

Note to GM: Clueless dealers such as the one Rick had to deal with are doing you no favors in the increasingly intense competition for auto buyer dollars.

Regards,

Gary Dikkers

The Easter bunny is coming

Last November at the Los Angeles auto show, Mr Lutz laid down a marker when he said, "Next year, about the time the Easter Bunny brings us our eggs, we will find out who is right, and who is scamming whom." in response to alleged remarks from a Toyota VP about the Volt.

Just checked my calendar, and guess what? The Easter bunny is due at my house in two days.

That means it's time for a progress and creditability check.

OK, who's scamming whom?

V/R,

Gary Dikkers

-----------------------------------
Here's how the NY Times reported the story at the time: California Dreaming, Tinted Green

“Mr. Lutz, who is known for speaking his mind, appeared to be fighting mad at what he characterized as a competitor’s predictions that the Volt was primarily a public relations vehicle that will never be built. “We are headed to a showdown at the O.K. Corral,” he told a small group of reporters after G.M.’s green-theme presentation. “One of our Asian competitors — and I won’t say who — took a bunch of journalists over to the Tokyo Motor Show and gave them a technical briefing in which they said the Volt is a scam. It’s a P.R. stunt. They said our lithium-ion batteries won’t work, and we’ll never bring the car to market.” He continued, “Next year, about the time the Easter Bunny brings us our eggs, we will find out who is right, and who is scamming whom.”

Gary,
Order a Corvette and ask for the museum delivery option.

Quote:
"GM should even invite me to the plant and allow me to watch it being built, and then hand me the keys as it rolls off the production line -- after completing a rigorous quality assurance inspection of course."

The Easter bunny came last Sunday

The Easter bunny came last Sunday, but Mr Lutz has been silent about his claim from last November concerning the Volt that, "Next year, about the time the Easter Bunny brings us our eggs, we will find out who is right, and who is scamming whom."

So what's the answer? Easter has come and gone, and I still don't know who is scamming whom.

V/R

Gary Dikkers

The 2008 election will determine what Americana car companies do. Democrats win electric cars are on the way. Same with big stock holders,they buy stock in military companies when the Republicans are in power and buy stock in the medical fields when the Democrats are in power. It is all about politics

I am really confused about how GM expects to compete in the HEV market. Early adopters of the new technology will not be your typical hi-tech style- conscious customers. They are the simple and practical environmentally conscious families. What is needed most after a 5 passenger Plug-in HEV sedan is a roomy family mini-van. Those will be the winners in this race. Practical cars for those of us who do wear birkenstocks and belong to the Sierra Club. We are the leading edge in this new paradigm. Why is the volt a high performance sporty car? It is not what we, the typical consumers of earth-friendly products and services, demand. Whoever brings us what we want and need will win this race, not the sexiest cars, but the most practical cars. Sexy is dead, practical is the new sexy.

Dave Finnigan said: "Early adopters of the new technology will not be your typical hi-tech style- conscious customers. What is needed most after a 5 passenger Plug-in HEV sedan is a roomy family mini-van. Those will be the winners in this race. Practical cars for those of us who do wear Birkenstocks and belong to the Sierra Club. We are the leading edge in this new paradigm. Why is the Volt a high performance sporty car?"

You make a good point Dave.

It seems there would be a bigger market for a practical configuration of the Volt, rather than a sporty one - especially since we are facing $4-5 a gallon motor fuel.

The Volt in its current configuration looks a lot like a 2+2 sports car. (Fun to drive; nice looking; but of what value?) I'd like something that would be more useful. Something to use for commuting, but also something for taking the kids to Little League practice or to a Saturday birthday party; or for going to Home Depot and bringing home a few bags of mulch or fertilizer on Saturday morning.

I'd think a more practical configuration would be a small station wagon/van something like the Toyota Scion xB or a small hatchback like the Dodge Caliber. (Not that I'd like the Volt to look like them, but both cars have practical, useful configurations.)

A small electric pickup truck

Heck, I'd even like to see a small pickup truck version of the Volt.

Something like the Chevy Montana based on the Opel Corsa that GM sells in Brazil. I suspect a Montana with a Volt drive train would be a big seller in the North American suburbs. Montana compact pickup truck

Best,

Gary Dikkers

Gary

I'm not kidding when I say MINI-VAN. We are not style conscious. We are only looking for the most efficient and practical way to move our stuff, our kids, our disabled seniors, and our selves from place to place. Whoever brings out a minivan first gets the gold. Not an SUV. We don't like them. They are the enemy to us Mac using, tree hugging early adopters.

Dave said: "I'm not kidding when I say MINI-VAN."

Dave,

I can tell you're not kidding, and as I said, you make a good point.

We need PRACTICAL electric cars that average people can make use of. We don't really need a 2+2 electric roadster such as the Volt that will cost $48,000 or more, or a $100,000 Tesla two-seat roadster.

We need electric micro-vans, mini-vans, and small pickup trucks that people can use to commute and do useful things without burning fossil fuels -- and that all the Joe Sixpacks can actually afford.

As it looks now, the Volt and Tesla will be mainly for celebrities and rich people who want to demonstrate their "eco-credentials" to their rich celebrity buddies.

Best regards,

Gary Dikkers