GM CEO: we goofed, now let's move forward
Assuming that everyone reading this knows about the GM bankruptcy, let's go straight to the quote highlight reel. During a recent interview with NPR, GM Chief Financial Officer Ray Young said the following:
We do believe that gasoline prices will increase in the future; we do believe that consumers will demand more fuel-efficient and greener vehicles. From our perspective, we're going to make that commitment, make that investment to allow us to have these products in great quantities in the future.And, taking about the not-killed Volt, Young said: "The key here is to get it launched"
GM CEO Fritz Henderson was also interviewed and he admitted that, "We've made mistakes, there's no question we've made mistakes. We need to learn from those mistakes, and we will." He also said that GM "will continue its research in hydrogen fuel cells," he said. "We have demonstrated it can work. What is far away is the commercialization of the technology."
Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt
[Source: NPR]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lou Grinzo 10:21AM (6/04/2009)
I will believe GM finally has their head on straight when I see them do all of the following:
1. Really produce high quality, high efficiency cars in the US for the US.
2. Drop the hydrogen fuel cell idiocy.
3. Announce that the Volt will either (1) come with a smaller battery pack (about 20 miles), or (2) will be available at launch with a choice of battery sizes, including at least one less than or equal to 20 miles in range. (I've been predicting since the Volt was first discussed that they would have to back off on the 40 mile range, simply because of cost. I don't think that batteries have dropped nearly enough in price to change that prediction.)
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gorr 10:30AM (6/04/2009)
I told you before that gm was there to sell petrol only with the help of big oil and political ruling. The other car manufacturers have joined their trend and now accept goverment money to lose this money of false batteries researchs programms. But they admitted that hydrogen is ready since years, it's just that there not allowed by big oil.
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DaveD 11:07AM (6/04/2009)
gorr,
Big oil loves hydrogen. Why is that so hard for you to understand? They are the main suppliers of hydrogen from their bloody oil. Will you at least find something that half way makes sense for your conspiracy theories? Damn.
If big oil has the cheapest way to produce hydrogen today and it keeps us addicted to them, then they are supporting it! The thing that makes a conspiracy theory work is that it has to have SOME kind of basis in reality and then build from there. Geez.
1138 10:57AM (6/04/2009)
I don't know if people will demand fuel efficient vehicles but I do know that if the option is there people will start to veer toward them...especially since gas is already up, which generally sucks since it was a little below 2 bucks for a little while. But Gas is going to go up, no doubt about it. The oil cartel is going to push the boundary of pricing without breaking economies... and they've admitted as much. For all those people who just bought new SUV's good luck!
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KenB 11:24AM (6/04/2009)
Big Oil loves the hydrogen idea for several reasons, but MOSTLY because they KNOW WE ARE MANY YEARS AWAY FROM IT BECOMING A REALITY.
They HATE the battery (Voltec) idea for several reasons, but MOSTLY because they know it is a REALISTIC possibility for a mode of transportation that would not involve them directly.
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bip-d-bo 12:15PM (6/04/2009)
GM did not goof up by building large vehicles. I'm tired of the demonization of companies for producing goods that the customers want. The American car companies mades loads of money on SUVs in the 90's and early 00s because people were buying them. This was money that they needed to pay for union labor, health care and retirement. They are companies, not non-profit organizations trying to save the world. America has the biggest cars in the world because that's what Americans like to buy. They buy them because gas has been historically cheap here. Even when it was $4 it was still much cheaper than in Europe. Most people like the idea of small, more efficient cars, and they want everyone else to drive them, but when people take the test drive, they like the height and smooth ride given by tons of steel and the power and sound of a V8. So thats what the companies made. I like small cars. They are more fun to drive and I like the fuel economy for environmental and political reasons. That view is not shared by most of America, at least for now. Fortunately, though, that is changing. Also, compare mpg numbers for the Cobalt and Focus to the Civic and Corolla, and tell me that America hasn't been trying to sell efficient cars.
We also have less fuel efficient cars here because we have the strictest possible emmission standards. The air passing through the exhaust is often cleaner than the air passing through the filter. That technology costs money, engine performance, and mpg. Yes, cleaner cars burn more fuel and therefore emit more CO2.
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Dutch 12:50PM (6/04/2009)
"The air passing through the exhaust is often cleaner than the air passing through the filter."
Really? So healthier to suck on a tailpipe than to just breathe? Really? You certainly have a knack for hyperbole.
cosmosis 1:07PM (6/04/2009)
It's true in smoggy cities ala LA. CARB and other agencies state that PZEV vehicles, like the Ford Focus, emit cleaner air than they intake. Research is easy. www.arb.ca.gov
or even google scholar with "PZEV smog"
Chris M 2:36PM (6/04/2009)
The mistake for GM wasn't their big vehicles, but the low quality of the few higher mileage vehicles they made (Aveo, Cobalt) couldn't compete with the Corollas and Civics, and come nowhere close to the fuel economy and quality of the Prius and Civic Hybrid and Insight.
Toyota made big vehicles, too, but they also made several great small cars, and they made the worlds best selling hybrid. It is 12 years after Toyota introduced the Prius, and GM still doesn't have anything that comes close.
Snowdog 12:24PM (6/04/2009)
GM really needs to build some quality small cars that are worth buying.
Cavalier/Cobalt/Aveo are the kind of thing that turns people off GM when the enter the market and they never look at GM again.
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Nick P. 1:06PM (6/04/2009)
Looks like they haven't really learned anything and are ready for another round of goofing up. I can't believe they are still wasting resources on that hydrogen scam. If they were smart, they would align their R&D with the government's moves and cancel founding for hydrogen.
Like everyone, I wish them good luck with the Volt. Hopefully, they will be successful enough to convince them to apply Voltec versions to their whole product line.
Man, it's hard to thrust them...
- Nick -
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KM 1:21PM (6/04/2009)
GM needs to be making user servicable cars, make sure it isn't being beat out of domestic fleet purchases (government, rental, and taxi) by non US companies, and simplify its product line so that "shared platform" means "high percentage of parts interchangeability."
Those are three things it has NOT been doing which seem ridiculously obvious. Hell, I could run GM better than a lot of these guys.
I understand that in some cases cars HAVE to be produced inside the country they are being sold (for tax breaks and labor costs) but surely the tremendous investments in tooling and design developed for the US market can be shared to some extent to Latin American or Asian markets?
I remember when GM killed the Caprice (fleet vehicle) I figured GM was gonna be in trouble, then they nixed the Camaro/Firebird (cheap sport car selling what 75,000 units in factories set up to make 150,000 units - who does their math?) and made an Impala no one wanted or liked.In the 90s.
Let's see if the new guys are smarter than the old guys.
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Tohe 10:43PM (6/04/2009)
I was hoping Mr. Henderson' choice of tacky ties were not connected to his intellect, obviously I was wrong. Anyone with a few neurons up in there, knows what he said was pure BS, there is no infrastructure for God's sake.
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