Bob Lutz to take on Letterman next week to refute Volt claims
Two weeks after late night comedian David Letterman lashed out at the Chevy Volt's 40 mile range during an interview with Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, GM is counter-attacking with former vice-Chairman Bob Lutz. Next Wednesday night, Lutz will appear on Letterman's show with the Volt show car. Lutz is generally pretty good at holding his own in interviews, but it will be interesting to see how he rebukes Letterman. The latter generally keeps a pretty tight
Clarification: When I say most Model S development is on hold, I mean most, not all. When I spoke with CEO Elon Musk in January he acknowledged that spending on Model S had been cut from 30 percent of Tesla's resources to only 10 percent. Before leaving the company, last former SVP Darryl Siry told us that essentially all work other powertrain development had come to halt. Some work is ongoing since they did finish the show car, but the bulk of it depends on raising cash. Meanwhile GM tells us that the Volt program is essentially the only one at the company that has not seen any significant cuts.
Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt
[Source: General Motors]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Tohe 11:26AM (5/15/2009)
GM's very own Dick? Someone needs to tell Cheney and Lutz that it is time to move on.
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brn 11:33AM (5/15/2009)
It's ridiculous that an automotive manufacturer needs to go on Letterman to defend itself.
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Tyler Durden 11:44AM (5/15/2009)
I hope Letterman asks Putz about that stock sale :)
"Late Monday, six GM executives reported the sale of all the company stock they owned. The biggest seller was Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. He sold 81,360 shares for $130,990."
Putz, what kind of loss did you take on that?
These are the actions of a man who doesn't think highly of his company "as a going concern."
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200905121419DOWJONESDJONLINE000630_FORTUNE5.htm
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Shock Me 12:00PM (5/15/2009)
In fairness to Mr. Lutz (asshole #1), Dave did misrepresent the Volt's capabilities. But, having said that, confronting Dave (asshole #2) directly on a show where controls the cameras may not be the best response.
Too bad they can't both shut up and let us look at the car. Hope it happens.
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Nick P. 12:24PM (5/15/2009)
On the positive side, this keeps E.Vs in the news. When was the last time people were discussing two yet-to-be-produced cars on late night T.V?
Lutz has to explain this whole range extender business to people. The EV-1 had about 100 miles range, so he'll have to explain why they cannot beat their own 10-year old technology. In the end, they did this to keep the car affordable using their own resources, which is a rational decision.
I gotta give him some credits: the guy has passion and is willing to go on T.V to defend a group decision made years ago.
The great EV war is on!
- Nick -
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mister nomer 12:39PM (5/15/2009)
@Tyler Durden:
Just food for thought, from the CNN article: "He sold 81,360 shares for $130,990."
To put it in proper context, please consider:
- I'm sure there are engineers and middle managers doing the same thing right now, i.e. selling their GM stock. And, I bet there are others, who did this same thing last year.
- I too have been on a company that slowly slid into bankruptcy and didn't make it back. I totally understand the impulse to sell last year, sell right now, and hold on in desperation. I hold no ill feelings against anyone who sold at my firm. I don't see how I could hold ill feelings at anyone at GM doing the same thing right now - be they an executive, white collar office nerd, or UAW worker on the line.
@Tohe (comparing him to Dick Cheney): Lay off, dude. Dick Cheney skipped the Vietnam War. Lutz is a former Marine. I think that pretty much says it all right there.
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Tohe 1:12PM (5/15/2009)
@mister nomer
You didn't get my post at all. I'm comparing the two under the premise of their media tour after they have left their respective positions. Lutz should let the new GM speak for itself, a lot of people, myself included wont be receptive to Lutz' message.
mister nomer 3:04PM (5/15/2009)
tohe says: "You didn't get my post at all. I'm comparing the two under the premise of their media tour after they have left their respective positions."
Point taken.
The thing of it is, I don't think he's doing this entirely on his own. I think GM asked Lutz to step up for them because they don't have anybody else who can pull it off, i.e. Lutz was on Colbert last year and did OK.
smartone 12:43PM (5/15/2009)
are you kidding?? GM is probably doing cartwheels
do you know how much PR value it is to get on Letterman?
a spot on Letterman to promote your product is worth millions
a spot on Letterman to promote your product AND answer charges in a "controversy"
(which means it is a news story and will be picked up by other media) is worth multiple millions of dollars in free publicity
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Randy C. 1:17PM (5/15/2009)
When you compare the ER-EV Volt with the all electric EV1, 40 miles looks pitiful against the EV that clocked in at 80 miles, (later versions could do 140 miles) the Volt looks a little lame. With advanced lithium batteries this company should do a lot better considering this same company was doing 140 miles using "inferior" NiMH batteries in 1999.
I watched an interview done on British TV with Elon Musk. I was surprised he has a degree in physics and has very through understanding of how his products really work. He states that you can build a good electric car or a good ICE car but when you try to go half way you wind up with a mediocre car.
The Volt is a prime example of executives thinking they know better than engineers. Specifying a car to that looks good on paper but the implementation is going to be complex and expensive. Or a car done to satisfy an outside influence like Chevron.
Ford has the right idea. Instead of building a whole new car use a popular selling existing chassis and put the electric drive components in it. You wind up with familiar to the customer vehicle that will cost far less money and time to develop and test. You don't have to build a new manufacturing plant since an existing one can switch back and forth between ICE and battery versions overnight.
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Nicholas 1:38PM (5/15/2009)
Good point, the Volt is like an emaphrodite, it is neither an EV nor an ICE, it needs surgery to make it right.
DasBoese 2:06PM (5/15/2009)
Right, because the Volt wasn't designed by engineers at all.
You're just parroting Letterman's and Musk's bullshit without any idea how the Volt actually works, or why it was designed the way it is.
Your last paragraph shows your ignorance clearly. The Volt is exactly what you demand. It's built on the Delta II platform that underpins a variety of GM vehicles, and it's going to be built at an existing plant. However, building an EV or a hybrid is hardly as easy as "put the electric drive components in it". Both Ford and GM know that, you obviously don't.
DasBoese 2:19PM (5/15/2009)
And Nicholas:
There's a great number of intersex people who'd take offense at your statement, forcefully having been assigned a gender as infants with lifelong health and psychological impacts.
I'm not an advocate of political correctness, far from it, but you know, there is such a thing as common decency. Comments like this, you may want to think through for a bit before you post.
Nicholas 2:38PM (5/15/2009)
"There's a great number of intersex people who'd take offense at your statement"
True, I retract my comment. To them, I'm sorry.
leo 1:47AM (5/16/2009)
"There's a great number of intersex people who'd take offense at your statement"
I am laughing my erm, intra-sex?, head off..
Nicholas, don't apologise, mate. There is nothing in the world that gives me indigestion more than an american telling others about being politically correct or not. This moral high ground BS....hello? 90 % of the world's pornography hails from your shores, hmm, war in Irak anyone? What about 6 billion dollars for the Israli army per year?? Bit of irony there, DasBoese? Wud yer just pipe down and go away and indoctrinate your children.
DasBoese 1:47PM (5/15/2009)
The hatred Mr. Lutz generates is truly astonishing. He probably eats children, too!
I, for one, hope he rips that ignorant ass Letterman a new one, though I have a feeling Letterman will try to sidetrack him with irrelevant questions about stock sales and bankruptcy, because let's face it, as far as technical knowledge goes, Letterman doesn't stand a chance against Lutz.
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downtoearth 5:03PM (5/15/2009)
DasBoese:
> The hatred Mr. Lutz generates is truly astonishing.
> He probably eats children, too!
"Global warming is a total crock of shit.""
"Hybrids like the Toyota Prius make no economic sense"
© Bob Putz
augustus 1:48PM (5/15/2009)
Maybe Letterman will ask him why the front end of the Volt looks so ugly compared to the Ampera. Maybe Letterman will grill him over when GM will repay all the Fed's "loans" that my tax money provided this loser company. Maybe Letterman will ask what empirical methodology was used to close dealerships.
Maybe Letterman will roll a Pontiac Aztek on the stage, hand Lutz a sword and tell him that the only way to atone for the Aztek abomination is to fall on his sword.
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another person 2:33PM (5/15/2009)
@Randy C.
Cost, name a EV on sale now that uses lithium batteries and is affordable to the avg person?, and after the charge runs low what then. what if you have to go somewhere where you wont be able to charge your car, it all well that a car can be made to use nothing but electricity we have done that before the problem has been will remain range.
"He states that you can build a good electric car or a good ICE car but when you try to go half way you wind up with a mediocre car."
the volt is a electric car that has a backup generator, this allow the car to extend its range. but i am sure you know that.
"Or a car done to satisfy an outside influence like Chevron."
So let me get this, ignoring the gasoline infrastructure that is in place, how would you go about extending the range of a EV?
"Ford has the right idea. Instead of building a whole new car use a popular selling existing chassis and put the electric drive components in it. You wind up with familiar to the customer vehicle that will cost far less money and time to develop and test."
Volt was developed using next gen delta platform. most of the work is test the battery and charging using a ice(personal i think a turbine would be a better choice but that me), a lot of the technology(drive by wire brakes and steering) is carry over for their work on anotonmy skateboard concept(hydrogen tech)
"When you compare the ER-EV Volt with the all electric EV1, 40 miles looks pitiful against the EV that clocked in at 80 miles," sure when you do that but that doesn't look at cost of a a EV or the limited range issues. (ps electric EV1, you don't need to add all electric it kinda a given useless stated otherwise)
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another person 2:33PM (5/15/2009)
"maybe Letterman will ask him why the front end of the Volt looks so ugly compared to the Ampera.
(option everyone has one, see even i have one )
Maybe Letterman will grill him over when GM will repay all the Fed's "loans" that my tax money provided this loser company
(" that my tax money"..i am sure your tax dollars dont add up to anything nearing one percent anyway just vote no....wait a sec no vote well maybe you should run for office. make sure you tax dollars are spent wisely
"Maybe Letterman will ask what empirical methodology was used to close dealerships."
you could always start a car company and reopen them selling the product that you make, what no company just a computer and a keyboard..well add that to your list of thing you can do
"Maybe Letterman will roll a Pontiac Aztek on the stage, hand Lutz a sword and tell him that the only way to atone for the Aztek abomination is to fall on his sword."
(well i am sure he will do that, mean Lutz was at the company when that was designed....no well i am sure you can rant on the internet about it,,,wait a sec you already have..well thats one thing off that list of yours
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