At Last: Behind the Wheel of Volt Test Mule
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
This week we announced that the GM Board has approved the Chevrolet Volt program. Yes, development work has been going on in earnest, but now it’s official. In fact, recently, at GM’s Milford Proving Ground, I drove an official “engineering development vehicle” with the 16-kwh lithium-ion battery pack we’ve been testing for our E-Flex System and I have to say – pun half-intended – it was electrifying.
The first impression of the day, however, was made before I even got into the vehicle. It hit me on the drive out to Milford, as I passed gas station after gas station with prices for regular unleaded hugging the $4 mark: This makes the importance and potential of our all-electric glide through our proving ground roads even clearer.
Now, don’t run to the Chevy dealer and order your Volt yet: The “test mule” I drove – a previous-generation Malibu – wasn’t calibrated properly, and there are an awful lot of tests that this battery must pass before it’s cleared for production. Our battery teams in Warren and in Germany are working hard in our battery labs to determine that these batteries will work for the life of the vehicle. Still, the conditions in a real-world environment – where the battery is exposed to shaking, moisture and rapidly changing temperature conditions – are much more extreme than the controlled settings of the lab.
But I think it’s important to point out that in the six months since we’ve received the battery pack, we’ve tested it in the lab, then on the dynamometer, and now on the track. Eventually, if and when we settle on the right battery, our E-Flex System engineers will have a lot of integrating, tuning and tweaking to do before the Volt is ready for prime time. And we’ll keep you informed of our progress every step of the way.
Upon future drives, when the vehicle is closer to true calibration, I’ll have more driving details. But I will say that, while the car is still most definitely a work in progress, the thrill of driving electrically — that instant, silent torque — is certainly present and accounted for! Of course, as you can imagine, I miss the throaty roar of an engine. Once we get this whole battery thing perfected, our friends at XM Satellite Radio may have to start an Internal Combustion Channel.
Posted by Editor at 1:34 PM
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Invicta: A Product Progress Report
The Buick Invicta Concept
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
Recently we unveiled the Buick Invicta concept car at the Beijing motor show. It was a natural choice to have the sleek concept sedan’s debut in China, where Buick is an established, respected premium luxury brand.
The Invicta is a vehicle that GM Global Product Development can be proud of on many levels, not the least of which is, I think, that it’s a beautifully designed car. It shows where Buick design is headed, both in China and in North America, and gives you a strong hint at what the next generation LaCrosse might look like.
In the big picture, to me, Invicta is symbolic of the progress we continue to make revamping GM Global Product Development and rolling out our global architecture programs. The next generation LaCrosse will share an architecture with other midsize sedans from Chevrolet, Saab, Opel/Vauxhall and others. But the key to the whole thing is … it will be very hard to tell they share the same parentage if you didn’t already know.
This is not “badge engineering.” And it goes beyond “common platforms.” This is taking the parts of the vehicle that the customer doesn’t see or come in contact with and commonizing them — and then investing the savings in the sheet metal and the interiors and the other factors that differentiate the vehicles from brand to brand. Dimensions can change, such as length and width and cowl height. Suspensions can be vastly different, changing the character and behavior of the vehicle, depending on brand. It’s all plug and play, with markedly different cars coming from the same Lego set. (Eds. Note: No real Lego pieces are used.)
The progress we’re making is real. It’s not just chest thumping talk. We have a ways to go yet, but we’re getting there. We still have to roll out more global architectures as we phase out older ones, and we still have more products to work into the mix. But the process is well under way and I’m thrilled with the early results.
General Motors, from top to bottom, is committed to injecting a more emotional element into the vehicles, and identifying more with the consumer. We realize that most of us are inured to this business because we see new cars all the time. But consumers only look at or get a new car every 6 or 7 years, and they are thrilled when they finally see something that they really like.
So it’s crucial that we see new vehicles through the eyes of the public who fall in love with them. And we have to keep creating those vehicles with the mindset that if people see them for the first time and don’t immediately fall in love with them, they’ll never buy them.
That love stems from beautiful, compelling design. And it stems from vehicles that meet and beat expectations, from vehicles that offer more in value than they take away in cost. The winning formula is to create way more value than what you’re charging for the car. And that is analytical, but it’s also artistic, and that’s where we rely on designers.
Designers can’t create cars in a vacuum because we also need engineering solutions that meet the law and meet the necessary body rigidity and safety standards and so on. And we also need a manufacturing organization that can produce these vehicles to absurdly high levels of precision. There are a lot of factors at work.
I think we’re making huge progress, and that our newest concept and production vehicles bear that out. But it doesn’t matter a bit what I think, really — it only matters what all of you think.
Posted by Editor at 11:13 AM
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VIDEO: Volt Nation Town Hall Meeting
Here's some interesting footage courtesy of Volt Nation from a Q&A Bob Lutz did at last month's VN conference in New York. - Will Stewart, blog editor.
Posted by Editor at 3:27 PM
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Thank You, Citizens of Volt Nation
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
This is a little late coming, but I just wanted to take the time and space to officially thank everyone who traveled to New York, some from fairly far away, for the Volt Nation event at the auto show there last month.
And I’d like to thank Dr. Lyle Dennis, the foundation of Volt Nation, for organizing such a great event, and for his boundless enthusiasm. In fact, all the attendees were rather enthusiastic, and we are very appreciative of that, and of their rabid interest in the Volt program.
As I told the group assembled there in New York, the Volt team feeds off their enthusiasm, it’s a great motivator for us.
Not that we need any extra push to get going on the project. The team continues to make progress, and we continue to be committed to seeing the program through. As I said in New York, we are going to get this done — we are not going to be beaten to the punch like we were on hybrids.
I told the Volt Nation audience that GM had the technology to do hybrids back when Toyota was launching the first Prius, but we opted not to ask the Board to approve a product program that’d be destined to lose hundreds of millions of dollars. In the end, it cost us much more than that; it cost us our reputation for technology leadership and innovation.
We made that mistake once. We won’t make it again. I think the whole company has learned when you step out and do bold things, you win and when you're cautious and let other people do the bold things, you lose.
Many great ideas die every day because we value the safety of the tried-and-true over the risk that true innovation requires. This is not going to be the case with Volt; we are going for the brass ring.
Further updates to come, but thanks again to Dr. Dennis and Volt Nation for their support.
Posted by Editor at 3:50 PM
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UPDATE: Over on FYI
Make sure to check out FYI for a video post from last week's press days at the New York Auto Show. -Alicia Dorset, blog editor
Posted by Editor at 6:57 PM
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Talk About a Crock…
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
It amazes me sometimes what kinds of things seem to “catch on” out there.
An offhand comment I made recently about the concept of global warming seems to have a lot of people heated, and it’s spreading through the Internet like ragweed. But I think that the people making a big deal out of it are missing the real point. My beliefs are mine and I have a right to them, just as you have a right to yours. But among my strongest beliefs is that my job is to do what makes the most business sense for GM.
Never mind what I said, or the context in which I said it. My thoughts on what has or hasn’t been the cause of climate change have nothing to do with the decisions I make to advance the cause of General Motors. My opinions on the subject — like anyone’s — are immaterial. Really. The point is not why and how did we get where we are, it’s what are we going to do to get where we’re going.
And I think that many of the people who’ve been spewing their virtual vitriol in my direction in the past week are guilty of taking the easy way out.
Instead of simply assailing me for expressing what I think, they should be looking at the big picture. What they should be doing, in earnest, is forming opinions not about me but about GM, and what this company is doing that is — and will continue to be — hugely beneficial to the very causes they so enthusiastically claim to support.
General Motors is dedicated to the removal of cars and trucks from the environmental equation, period. And, believe it or don’t: So am I! It’s the right thing to do, for us, for you and, yes, for the planet. My goal is to take the automotive industry out of the debate entirely. GM is working on just that – and we’re going to keep working on it — via E85, hybrids, hydrogen and fuel cells, and the electrification of the automobile.
The Chevrolet Volt program is occurring under my personal watch, because I -- and others in senior management -- believe in it. I fully expect that it will revolutionize the automotive industry, and I’m committed to seeing it successfully developed and in showrooms.
We're going forward with these programs because it makes good sense to do so — common sense. If it’s doable, why wouldn’t we do it? It would lead to nothing but good things: energy independence, lower emissions, and better air. Isn’t that what we all want?
As long as I am in this position at this company, GM will continue to take these initiatives and others that lessen, and eventually even eliminate, the environmental impact of the automobile. And that’s what people ought to be focusing on.
Posted by Lutz at 5:38 PM
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One More Thing About January ...
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
You’ve already heard about our financial results for 2007. Yes, we posted a sizable loss, but it was not a surprise. As Rick Wagoner noted this morning, almost all of that loss was attributed to a special charge in the third quarter.
Right now, though, I want to share some little-noticed facts about our January sales.
As you may or may not know, General Motors was one of the few automakers to show an overall sales gain in January, 2.1 percent. However, the big story to us, and it’s one I’ve not seen widely reported, was our 11.2 percent in retail sales.
We had a large, and planned, reduction in fleet sales, most of that to daily rental fleets. And yet to do what we did on the fleet side and still see an increase in overall sales means only one thing… retail sales are up. And that’s exactly what we want to see.
I haven’t read a lot about it … in fact today I just read a story about how Impala sales are “sinking” because of the reduction in sales to daily rentals. While that may be true, technically, the real story, I think, is that in January, Impala retail sales were up 44 percent over last January. That’s an astounding number, one that bodes well for Impala and for Chevrolet.
That’s not all … Cobalt retail sales were up 65 percent, and so were Aveo retail sales. Those numbers represent good quality sales, and good quality market share.
And what they really spell out to me is the simple fact that Malibu (up 58 percent overall and 198 percent retail) is driving Chevrolet showroom traffic, probably including a good number of folks who have never set foot in a Chevy showroom before, or at least not for quite some time.
They come to see this new Malibu everyone’s talking about, and they look around, and they see the Impala, and the Cobalt, and the Aveo, and they see what a great value those cars represent, and they’re buying.
And it’s the same story across the board… Malibu, CTS and Enclave are all selling almost as soon as they come off the haulers. The traffic they’re bringing in is contributing mightily to this overall retail sales boost. It also helped make our January inventory levels the lowest since 1983. There’s an imbalance there, of course, because our truck inventory is high. But overall, our passenger car sales are helping to offset that.
This is a direct result of changing our approach to the market. We used to grab every sale, including daily rentals, no matter how unprofitable or ultimately deteriorating to the value of vehicle and brand. And if we wanted to go back to that, we could probably boost our share back up to 27 percent or so tomorrow.
But we’re in this for the long haul now… to reestablish our brands, to boost our residuals, and to improve the value and image of our vehicles. That’s why the retail sales numbers are so important, and that’s why I’d like to get the word out there about them. Somebody has to.
Posted by Editor at 1:16 PM
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Turnabout and Fair Play
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
Before I get to the point, I just want to mention that I think it’s a great and useful dialogue going on in the space below about fuel efficiency and petroleum dependence. Dave Lancaster of GM Powertrain is making some outstanding and very important points, especially about the benefits of E85, and if you haven’t read through them I encourage you to do so.
Speaking of reading, I am compelled to point out that I read a tremendous piece in The Wall Street Journal last week. From time to time I have berated the media, in this space and elsewhere, for a variety of reasons, and so when they print something favorable and accurate, it’s only fair that I recognize that, too.
Jeff Sabatini’s article in the Journal comparing the Chevrolet Malibu and the Honda Accord was really a milestone piece for us, in terms of getting the word about the improvements in our products out there — especially the improvements in our passenger cars.
Obviously, the Malibu has gotten a lot of positive press — it won the journalist-voted North American Car of the Year. But to have a reviewer for a major national daily paper compare it so directly — and so favorably — to the Accord, well, frankly, it was gratifying. And all true, I might add!
It’s another step toward turning GM’s image around, but it’s just a small step on a very long journey. That much was evident on the WSJ forums and message boards, where they used the article to conduct a straw poll: Which is a better car, a very good Chevrolet or a mediocre Honda?
They’d garnered about 1600 votes as of this morning, with the “very good Chevy” leading with 60 percent of the total. But, to me, the fact that a full 40 percent would vote for the hypothetically mediocre Honda shows we still have a very long way to go to change people’s minds. And although that’s going to take some time, I definitely think we’re headed in the right direction.
Posted by Editor at 4:08 PM
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Your Worst Nightmare
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
Go ahead... make their day. Just try and outrun them!
Posted by Lutz at 2:20 PM
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5 Things I Think I Think
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
Last week at the North American International Auto Show, I was asked more times than I can count: “Hey, Bob, what do you think?” So I took the opportunity of a speech I made last night to the Automotive News World Congress (or, as some call it, the Galactic Congress) to say what I think about, in this order: global sales leadership, the Detroit auto show, consumer behavior, E85, and electric cars with lithium-ion batteries. The speech covers a lot of things I've been meaning to cover in blog posts, so please take a look at it.
Download PDF of speech to Automotive News World Congress
UPDATE: Our apologies to those of you trying to download the PDF this morning. We had a problem with our server, but it's been corrected. Thanks for your patience! -Alicia Dorset, blog editor
Posted by Lutz at 6:36 AM
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Happy Birthday to the Volt
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
Exactly one year ago today we revealed the Chevrolet Volt to the world, and what a year it’s been…
Leading into last year’s North American International Auto Show, we felt the Volt was something special, but I have to admit, even I was surprised at the overwhelming response.
The enthusiasm for this product motivates us, every day, to bring the Volt and the E-Flex System technology to market as quickly as possible. In just 365 days, we’ve:
- Revealed three variants of the E-Flex System; an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV), a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle and a Diesel Extended-Range Electric Vehicle
- Assigned over 200 engineers to the program
- Transferred over 400 scientists and engineers from our Fuel Cell R & D programs to production programs — same work, but now production intent
- Signed advanced development battery contracts with Continental and LG Chem
- Signed an advanced development lithium-ion battery cell contract with A123Systems
- Begun testing our first two batteries
- Opened a dedicated E-Flex Design studio staffed with over 40 interior and exterior designers
We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, but we are constantly reminded that we need to move even more quickly. The proof is everywhere — $100/barrel oil, increased concerns over CO2 emissions, new CAFÉ standards and the growing concern that our industry needs to seek alternatives to oil.
This program remains a top commitment to the company, and we are holding tight to our 2010 deadline.
And while 2007 was a big year for the Volt, we expect 2008 to be even bigger. As each day passes, our confidence and understanding of the battery technology necessary for the Volt to go into production grows. The results from our first two months of testing — some of which has been fairly extreme — have been very encouraging. Soon these batteries will move from the lab to engineering mule vehicles for dynamic testing. There’s no way we can predict how these batteries will perform over 10 years based on only two months of testing, but I can assure you, there will be a point in time when we have the full confidence that our solution will reach this goal. When this happens, you’ll be the first to know.
Posted by Lutz at 4:10 PM
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Season’s Greetings
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
I’d like to thank those who posted their congratulations on the last post about GM taking four of the six finalist spots for North American Car and Truck of the Year. Your support and enthusiasm means a lot to us, and helps us “remain calm” as we wait anxiously for the winners to be announced Jan. 12, 2008, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Malibu, CTS, Enclave and Tahoe Hybrid teams deserve all the credit in the world; in my mind, they’re all winners.
When the auto show rolls around, be sure to check back here for information and updates. We have a host of world debuts that I’m sure will pique your interest, whether you’re a fan of fuel savings or out-and-out performance. We’re going to have something for everyone, and we can't wait to pull the wraps off the concept cars and production vehicles we have lined up this year.
In the meantime, before we assemble here in Detroit for the auto show, there’s this business of the holidays to attend to. I know I’ll be enjoying the time with my family, trying (and likely largely failing) to break the Blackberry habit, at least temporarily. Please take the opportunity to take some time off and enjoy the company of friends and family this season. I hope you all have the happiest of holidays and a terrific 2008. See you then.
Posted by Lutz at 3:31 PM
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Early Holiday Treats
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
Well, you know I hate to brag about our products, but… if I don’t, who will?
We have received some outstanding news about the prestigious North American Car of the Year and Truck of the Year awards… you may remember we swept those awards last January with the Saturn Aura and the Chevy Silverado.
The jury of esteemed automotive journalists is finished voting, the finalists have been announced, and GM has secured four spots in the finals. In the Car of the Year category, the Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac CTS are among the finalists, while on the truck side, finalists include the Buick Enclave and Chevy Tahoe Hybrid.
We couldn’t be happier. Like I said last January, it’s a validation of the progress we are making at GM at putting cars and trucks on the road that people want to buy. In what is a very tough year, a down year for the industry as a whole, our retail sales remain steady to slightly up.
The Malibu was up 40 percent over last November, and has just a seven-day turn rate on dealer lots. With our second plant coming on line, we hope to get even more units out to dealerships, and to streets, as soon as we can. And over at Cadillac, CTS sales drove a 15 percent passenger car increase in November.
These two are just getting started, just getting traction in the marketplace, so we hope to see this momentum continue, and some new hardware could help. Of course, they both can’t win, so I wanted to take this opportunity to recognize both and congratulate both teams. And don’t ask me who I’m rooting for — that’s like asking which daughter I love most.
By the way, both CTS and Malibu made Car And Driver’s annual “10 Best” list for the 2008 model year, along with repeat winner Corvette. Getting three cars on that list speaks volumes about how far we’ve come.
And we still have a ways to go. But with more new vehicles on the near horizon, like the Pontiac G8 and Vibe and the Saturn Astra, I like where we’re headed.
Posted by Lutz at 4:50 PM
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VIDEO: Bob Lutz and Engine Technology
In this video, Bob discusses engine technology with bloggers at the L.A. Auto Show. -Alicia Dorset, blog editor
Posted by Editor at 4:00 PM
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Golden Calipers for Cadillac
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
Congratulations are in order for our friends at Cadillac today.
The new CTS was named 2008 Motor Trend Car of the Year, a very prestigious honor, as you know. So I’d like to thank MT editor-in-chief Angus MacKenzie and company for the award, and congratulate them on a fine selection!
The award not only foreshadows an exciting future for Cadillac and the CTS, but reminds us of its long history, too; Cadillac was the very first automaker ever to win the Motor Trend Car of the Year title way back in 1949. And Cadillac wasn't alone this time around — it was great to see the new Chevrolet Malibu nominated for the award as well.
They say it's "an honor just to be nominated." It is. But it’s also really gratifying to see the development team, the engineers, the designers and all of Cadillac, to have their work recognized and appreciated for the achievement it is.
Make sure to check out Motor Trend.com for the full report on how the CTS was selected.
And also read more about the CTS on our Cadillac Drivers' Log.
Posted by Lutz at 8:38 PM
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VIDEO: Bob Lutz at the L.A. Auto Show
Check out this video of Bob and a group of bloggers discussing some upcoming plans about the Volt during a dinner at the L.A. Auto Show last week. -Alicia Dorset, blog editor
Posted by Editor at 2:20 PM
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Welcome Back…
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
I’m on the road again this week, but I had to share a quick story I heard from one of our West Coast dealers about the sale of his first Chevrolet Malibu.
Seems this particular dealer has a good friend back in suburban Detroit who hasn’t driven a GM product since 1979. That’s almost 30 years that this gentleman has spurned our cars and trucks.
In the interim, he has driven all the big-ticket vehicles, lots of Mercedes-Benz products, and was most recently in a Lexus LS sedan. The man, whom the dealer characterized as a “car guy,” had heard a lot about the new Malibu, and finally went to his local Chevy dealer to try one out.
He liked it. A lot. To the point where he called his friend, our dealer in California, and ordered one. Loaded. He wants every option available — loves gadgets.
So this dealer in Southern California just sold his first Malibu, to a car guy from Michigan who is turning in his Lexus! The customer is flying out to L.A. to pick up the car and drive it back to Detroit. The dealer said, “I hope this is just one of many former GM customers that we are able to win back.”
Amen to that. I hope to hear many more stories like that about the Malibu. Share ‘em if you got ‘em.
Posted by Lutz at 4:39 PM
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Bob Lutz and the New Malibu
Take a look at this tour of the new Chevy Malibu from Bob himself. -Alicia Dorset, blog editor
Posted by Editor at 6:54 PM
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Hugging a Camaro
You might remember Bob's post last week where he mentioned he had a photo of Ed Welburn hugging his beloved Camaro. Well, Bob and Ed thought their FastLane readers might like to finally see that picture... -Alicia Dorset, blog editor
Posted by Editor at 12:24 PM
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The Wonderful World of Oz
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
Editor's Note: If you read Bob's post before today, you might notice that we changed the Daewoo name. Our friends over at GM Asia Pacific haven't finalized the car's name yet, so that's why we switched it. Sorry for any confusion.
I just completed one of my better business trips! It was to Australia, always a favorite destination. Beautiful country and nice people… and also, happily, home of Holden and the internationally sourced product development team working on our global rear-wheel-drive cars.
I have never experienced an automotive company, including my three years at BMW, that has so much passion for excellence and dedication to the product. It’s contagious. Oz is a nation where the “car-guys” (both genders) rule, at least at Holden. I just love the palpable air of the "we want to win" spirit that this team exudes.
We drove cars on their ride road which, strangely, bears a lot of resemblance to a racing circuit. We sampled Pontiac G8s in various states of tune, and they were fabulous. We drove the Daewoo and the Chinese Buick Park Avenue, both large, ultra-lux executive transports created by the global rear wheel drive team. And we also drove..."other things in the rear drive hopper."
One I can sort of talk about is the Camaro. We had the first fully representative prototype with close to final surfaces standing at track side. It looked as awesome as the concept, and the blotchy black/white camo scheme could not destroy the great stance and proportion. The body fits were already better than what came off the line a few years ago. The interior had some hand-made plastic parts and showed some gaps, but was remarkable for the first car.
I got to drive it first, not only because “rank has its privileges,” but because I didn't want anyone stuffing it into a barrier before I got to drive.
Twisting the key produced a muted rumble from the big V8. We pulled away smoothly in the first cog of the new, slick, six-speed manual. Depressing the accelerator shifted the world into fast forward, with three or four more quick upshifts. The car had just been completed and had had no tuning or finessing. But I loved the response, the sound, the steering and the brakes. There's more work to be done, for sure, and the group knows it. They still have time for further development. The goal of the team led by Gene Stefanyshyn is to produce the finest car in its class, ever. Do I think they will get there? I wouldn't bet against that team!
On a side note, Vice President for Global Design Ed Welburn was on the drive, too. Seeing his beloved Camaro as a real car… in near-final metal, glass, rubber and plastic… transformed from a visionary dream into a highly drivable reality… well, it was almost too much for him. He broke ranks, ran over to it, and hugged it! I have the photo to prove it — but of course we can’t show it to you just yet!
More to come soon from the Land of Oz. The Pontiac G8s are already on the way...
Posted by Lutz at 10:01 AM
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A Time To Remember…
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
I know that FastLane is a vehicle, no pun intended, to discuss the cars and trucks of General Motors, and your various reactions to and input about those cars and trucks. But every so often I feel compelled to write, however briefly, about something else that seems important.
Today is one of those times. And that’s because this Sunday, Sept. 23, PBS will begin airing a landmark documentary that I believe will prove educational and entertaining for all, The War, a 14-hour epic series about World War II by documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, whose previous works on The Civil War, Jazz and Baseball, among other subjects, have earned much acclaim.
Now, let me be upfront: GM is a major underwriter and supporter of Ken Burns’ work, and has been since 1987. Would I be blogging about this series if we weren’t? Well, perhaps not. But perhaps I would. Our support just happens to make it top of mind at the moment, because it’s generating a lot of buzz, both inside and outside the company.
Even if I didn’t blog about it, I’d still be watching as much of it as I could. And that’s because its subject is so important to the course of history and so fascinating as well. To those of us of a certain age, World War II defined our lives. (For the record, I was 7 when World War II began.) And to all the rest of you not quite our age, the War shaped the world in which we live, to an unbelievable extent, for decades, and its reverberations are still felt around the globe today, especially in Europe. Sadly, I doubt younger generations really grasp the impact of the War on our world. This documentary will help them understand.
GM has a number of key vehicle launches this fall, including the Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac CTS, and we continue to make progress toward putting the Chevy Volt on the road, and we are still doing serious development work on the Chevrolet Camaro… and we will discuss all of those and more in the coming weeks and months right here on FastLane.
But every once in a while, you have to look at the big picture and what affects the world around you. You could make the argument that nothing in history has shaped the course of the entire world like World War II. And when a filmmaker the caliber of Ken Burns releases a documentary examining the subject, well, it’s worth noting. And watching.
Posted by Lutz at 8:23 AM
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Frankfurt Report: The Opel Flextreme Diesel Concept
The Opel Flextreme
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
As I’ve said before, I’m more excited about the Chevrolet Volt than anything else I’ve seen in my many decades in the auto industry. This week in Frankfurt, we unveiled a European version of the E-Flex line, which we call the Opel Flextreme diesel concept.
Even before anyone discusses the technology, I really think the first impression the Flextreme makes is that it’s a great-looking car. Mark Adams, GM Europe’s Vice President of Design, told the gathered media that the Flextreme shows the future design language for Opel. Its monocab proportions fall in between the popular Astra and Zafira models, but as you can see, its profile is much sleeker. And when it’s time to install a car seat, parents of small children will appreciate the rear-hinged passenger door. In fact, it’s been so popular with focus groups that we are moving ahead with plans to put the FlexDoor system into production.
Like the Volt, the Flextreme is powered by an electric motor, with a small internal combustion engine to recharge the batteries if needed. In the Opel Flextreme, though, that engine is a 1.3-liter CDTI diesel. The car will be able to run about 55 kilometers (almost 35 miles) on one charge. Our research shows that will cover the round trip of 75% of European commuters. Once the diesel engine kicks in, the Flextreme will emit less than 40 grams of CO2 per kilometer driven, far below the proposed European Commission’s target of 130 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
And, as an added bonus, two specially designed Segway Personal Transporters will fit in the Flextreme’s underfloor compartment. This will allow commuters to park outside the city center and ride their Segway Transporters the rest of the way. In Germany, commuters in Bavaria and Nordrheinwestfalen, Saarland and Hamburg — representing more than a third of the German population — are now allowed to ride their Segways on the streets.
So we think the Flextreme concept, along with the Segway Transporters, can significantly advance clean urban mobility. We’d like to hear what you think, especially those of you in Europe.
UPDATE: Check out FYI for video of the Flextreme.
Posted by Lutz at 11:57 AM
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VIDEO: FastLane Readers Ask About Reliability
Bob's series of video interviews at the 2007 Woodward Dream Cruise continue today, this time touching on GM and reliability. -Alicia Dorset, blog editor
Posted by Editor at 2:46 PM
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VIDEO: Talking About the HHR SS
Bob returns with a new set of videos today, this time from last weekend's Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise in metro Detroit. In this video, Bob discusses the recently introduced Chevy HHR SS. -Alicia Dorset, blog editor
Posted by Editor at 5:05 PM
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E-Flex Update
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
Some breaking E-Flex/Volt news for you… This morning, GM and A123Systems of Watertown, Mass., announced that we have agreed to co-develop A123's cells with that company’s nanophosphate battery chemistry for a long-lasting, safe and powerful battery for use in our E-Flex system. In fact, the contract calls for GM and A123 to develop battery cells to meet the specific requirements of E-Flex.
This is a great strategic agreement for us because it speeds up the development of the propulsion system, and it’s going to help us get E-Flex — and vehicles like the Volt that use it — on the road sooner.
Breakthrough advanced battery technology is what will ultimately drive future automotive propulsion, and the company aligned with the best strategic partners will have a distinct advantage. That’s what is so important about this deal. A123 joins our roster of highly capable and competent partners, including Continental Automotive and Compact Power Inc., a subsidiary of LG Chem.
We’re not just sitting around waiting for the right battery, though. We are developing this battery technology, together with our partners, while doing the engineering and development work on Volt and other vehicles that will use E-Flex. We’re treating them just like any other vehicle development program.
Whether we’re talking about the future of the Volt, a plug-in hybrid Saturn Vue or a fuel cell-powered vehicle, we need to perfect the fundamental battery cell performance. This agreement will help us do that.
A123Systems is considered a leader in the development of nanophosphate based cell technology, which, compared to other lithium-ion battery chemistries, provides higher power output, longer life and safer operations over the life of the battery.
As we’ve said time and time again, we want to be part of the solution to society’s energy issues… as a matter of energy efficiency, as a matter of national security, and as a matter of environmental responsibility. We’re committed.
This agreement is another step toward meeting that commitment.
Posted by Lutz at 10:35 AM
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Jetting Around
The Saab 9-7X AeroBy Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
Thursday night out at the Oakland County Airport I had the pleasure of helping Saab USA General Manager Steve Shannon introduce the Saab 9-7X Aero and 9-3 at the welcome reception of the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance.
As you know, Saab was “born from jets,” so I flew my Aero L-39 ZO “Albatros,” a demilitarized Czech-built fighter jet once used by the Libyan Air Force, from Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti to Oakland County for the occasion. Then, to benefit Meadow Brook Hall, we auctioned off a ride in the jet. So I’ll be piloting Eastern Michigan University aviation student Phillip Von Donop for a ride in the Albatros, thanks to his dad’s winning bid.
As I told the folks there, although I grew up in Europe, in my younger days I was never what you would call a Saab enthusiast. And I have to say that one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve had since I returned to General Motors in 2001 is the affection and affinity I’ve developed for the Saab brand and its vehicles. I’ve become a big fan of the driving dynamics. And I’m out to create more fans. We in senior management are convinced that Saab is a jewel in the GM crown, and we’re determined to ensure its success. The product lineup has expanded, and sales are growing both here in North America and in Europe. What’s particularly encouraging is that this spurt of growth has been consistent – it hasn’t been a feast-or-famine, one-month-wonder kind of growth.
The new 9-7X Aero and the 9-3 are excellent examples of Saab leveraging GM’s vast global product development resources. For example, the 9-7X Aero gets its 390 horsepower and 395 foot-pounds of torque from its LS2 6.0L engine, which is based on the small-block V-8 architecture.
So while I’ve read a number of comments on this blog questioning the future of Saab, let me say that it belongs in the GM family and we plan on keeping it there.
P.S. On another topic close to the fore, American automakers and fuel economy, USA Today published a misguided opinion piece July 25, and on Wednesday printed my response to it.
Posted by Lutz at 9:51 PM
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Weekend With a 'Bu
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
One of the most important passenger car launches in recent General Motors history is nearly upon us: the all-new 2008 Chevrolet Malibu.
We’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this vehicle and we are very excited to get it out there and see how the press and the public receive it.
I had the pleasure of some Malibu driving last weekend. And, although we have a few final tweaks and improvements to make, I just feel that, if we market this vehicle properly, it should be a huge success.
I had two late builds at home for a test-drive: a base four-cylinder with a well-matched four-speed automatic transmission (there will also be an optional six-speed automatic available with the four, shortly after introduction), 16-inch steel wheels, cloth, and few accoutrements save power windows; and also a loaded LTZ V6 with two-tone all-leather interior and 3.6-liter 252-hp engine.
The four was silky-silent, had nice power delivery, a very nice ride, and a beautiful base interior… and although we haven’t announced official pricing, it will be around 20 grand, and I think it’s a great deal. I’ll let others be the judge of that, however! But, really, I came to the conclusion that, realistically, rationally, and forgetting emotions, nobody "needs" more car than that. Roomy, beautiful, refined, silent, inexpensive, but doesn't look it.
The V6 is terrific, with the 18-inch wheels and the paddle-shifter transmission. Considering its ride, handling, steering, interior, performance, silence, at a price in the mid-to-upper $20s, again unofficially, I was unable to find any hugely discernible difference to cars costing $35,000 or even $45,000. I may be overstating it (a bit) due to my excitement, but I’ll let you decide that for yourself. Honestly, I am personally very, very pleased with how this car turned out, and am quite proud of the team.
The Saturn Aura took North American Car of the Year honors last year. The Malibu is right there. Of course, that's me speaking, and I may be biased! We'll see what the media have to say. Let us know what you think… more info on the Malibu can be found at here.
Posted by Lutz at 10:42 AM
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Bob Talks About... Chevy's Triplets
Another video response from Bob, this time talking about Chevy's Triplets. -Alicia Dorset, blog editor
Posted by Editor at 9:22 AM
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Checking Back With Bob
Continuing our video series with Bob, today he shares his thoughts on all the questions he receives regarding diesel... -Alicia Dorset, blog editor
Posted by Editor at 9:16 AM
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Bob Lutz Answers More FastLane Questions
By Christopher Barger
Director, GM Global Communications Technology
Ok, so here's the next installment in the video-answers series — Bob addressing some of your comments on Buick.
If it seems like it's a little out of order, that's because it is... like I mentioned in the comments to Friday's post, we cut the video into four parts and this one was supposed to be first, but when converting it we had an audio/visual sync issue to fix. Rather than delay the whole series till we got it fixed, we decided to just put up the clip that was ready (concept cars), even though it was out of order.
But we got it fixed, so here's the first video from the series, only posted second: Bob on Buick and its fit in the GM portfolio. Oh, and one last note: When Bob says "Buick" in the beginning, he means "China"... you'll see what he means when you watch it.
Posted by Editor at 10:50 AM
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Bob Lutz Answers FastLane Questions
As Bob mentioned in his post Thursday, we shot video of a few minutes of him answering some of the questions you have been asking on FastLane recently. Here's the first installment: Bob discussing your questions about concept cars we've shown at various auto shows that never quite made it into production.
Stay tuned in the next week or so for other installments in the series. -Christopher Barger, Director, GM Global Communications Technology
Posted by Editor at 11:38 AM
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Disgruntled Auto Execs Speak Out on Spy Photography
Take a look at this Detroit Free Press video profile on photographer Jim Dunne, "The Spy Who Loves Cars." Jim gives his thoughts on what life is like as a spy photographer, with a few "kind" words from some of Detroit's most well-known auto execs. -Christopher Barger, Director, GM Global Communications Technology
Posted by Editor at 10:52 AM
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The Week That Was
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
Let me start by apologizing for not checking in lately. And I do that not because I feel I owe anyone an apology but because I’m truly sorry I don’t get a chance to do as much of this as I’d like to. And while I wish I could blog more frequently, I must admit I find it a little disconcerting that some of you seem to need me to reassure you that I still care.
The tone of some of the comments posted lately — that Bob is bored with blogging, that the GM blog is a failure, that management feels the blog has backfired, that GM is pulling out of the blog business — has been, frankly, bordering on ridiculous.
I’ve met many of the automotive bloggers at events in Detroit, Chicago and New York and I must say I’ve greatly enjoyed our meetings, interactions and discussions. And I’ve come to realize that those bloggers don’t represent the people posting comments like the above to this blog. And that people posting comments like the above, in turn, don’t represent most of the readers and posters on this blog.
In short, I am not bored with blogging, far from it. And I’m not going to let the comments of an extreme subset turn me off to it, either. I will continue to do it, whenever I can, and as long as it seems people want to read it. And by the way, GM thinks its blogs are a success, too, and will forge ahead with all of them and more.
In the two weeks since my last post, I’ve been to Illinois, North Carolina, Arizona and other locales far and near. That’s not in itself an excuse for not checking in — clearly I have the Blackberry and computer access wherever I go. But on the road I typically have limited hours and must use those tools to perform what we’ll refer to as my “day job.”
Back at home, I have a bit more time for that day job, and that includes a review of the Chevy Volt program yesterday. I was very pleased with what I saw, and we will fill you in on exactly where it’s at very soon, with an official post from the Volt team.
I’ve also had more time for driving our products, most recently the Buick Enclave, whose tomblike quiet and den-like comfort I have been greatly enjoying. And I think those visiting Buick showrooms are finding the same terrific attributes that I have.
In fact, I had a recent conversation with a mega-mega dealer who runs franchises of nearly all makes, and he gave a totally unsolicited comment to our senior management team that was music to my ears. He said, “You guys don’t realize it yet because you’re far away from it, and the press doesn’t get it yet, but what we’re seeing in our GM dealerships is something approaching shock about your new products. Customers are shocked with the quality and appeal of GM cars and trucks.”
He said there is a growing, intense awareness of an all-new GM, and an all-new product ethic. He said, “Everything that’s coming out is dynamite. Just stick with it and don’t get discouraged if you don’t have a flood of good sales or good press, just keep at it and you will win.”
This is not anyone on our payroll. He sells cars and trucks from just about everybody, and he’s in a good position to judge. It made my week, I gotta tell you.
At least it did, until he asked me why I’d given up on blogging!
Okay, just kidding — he didn’t ask that. I guess he understands the whole schedule thing.
Speaking of schedules, on a personal note, another thing I did this week was tape an episode of the NPR news quiz show “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me,” which was recorded at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. It was an absolute hoot to do, and it airs this weekend. Consult, as they say in the business, your local listings.
Posted by Lutz at 5:22 PM
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Let Me Tell You a Few Things...
Buick Riviera Concept Coupe
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
First of all . . . let me lay one rumor running rampant through the blogosphere to rest: I have no plans to retire . . . not June 1, nor any other time soon. This was clearly an Internet prank gone hopelessly awry — and not a very clever one either.
Second, let me say one thing about all the posts some of you have left asking about the Park Avenue or one or more of the Chevy Triplets coming to America. You know better than to think we can respond to that, don’t you? We don’t like to use standard-issue corporate-speak here, but if we have to, here goes: We don’t discuss our future product plans.
There. Sorry I had to do that. But rest assured, we appreciate the enthusiasm and exuberance these vehicles inspired among so many of you, and if and when the time comes when we have an announcement to make about any of them, you’ll be among the first to know.
Thirdly, if that’s a word, and finally, I’d like you to take a look at one of the vehicles we showed at the Shanghai Motor Show this week, the Buick Riviera concept car.
Gull-wing doorsThis Riviera is another great example, like the Triplets before it, of GM leveraging our global product development talent and resources around the world. It was developed with global design input by the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) in China, a design and engineering joint venture between GM and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC).
The staff at PATAC simply does terrific work, and I think it shows in this lovely, sleek, gull-wing coupe. And it does offer a hint at Buick’s future international design language — maybe not the gull-wing doors, but one never knows, does one?
You can see and learn more about it by clicking here. We’d love to hear what you think of it. Just don’t ask us if we’re going to build it or sell it here. For the ans