Autoblog Green http://green.autoblog.com Autoblog Green http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog Green http://green.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Chris Shunk, Sam Abuelsamid and Dan RothThe podcast by the people who obsessively cover the auto industry.<![CDATA[At Witz' End - The Business of Plugging In, Take 2]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/12/11/at-witz-end-the-business-of-plugging-in-take-2/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/12/11/at-witz-end-the-business-of-plugging-in-take-2/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/12/11/at-witz-end-the-business-of-plugging-in-take-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


2011 Chevy Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery


A New World of Opportunity

Anyone out there read Inc. magazine? I don't either.

But I picked up the November 2009 issue at the October CAR "Business of Plugging In" event because it contained a very interesting feature called "The Connected Car" by Bernard Avishai, a business professor and writer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. "Want to get into the car business?" the subhead asks over a two-page photo of a Volt rolling chassis. "The imminent introduction of electric vehicles will make possible - in fact, will require - the creation of a vast ecosystem of entrepreneurial businesses."

"At ground level," the article begins, "electric cars like GM's Chevrolet Volt - due to be launched in November 2010 - are pretty much everything the U.S. economy is banking on. The cars promise innovative engineering and a resurgence of the American auto industry. They mean an America that is manufacturing things rather than just bundling financial instruments. Cosmetically, electric cars mean green technologies that will migrate to China, India and Brazil, where they will allow for Western styles of personal freedom...."

To be fair, the U.S. economy and manufacturing base need a lot more than EVs, beginning with tax breaks and incentives for all businesses, small and large, to begin hiring again. Once that begins and regular folks have money and confidence enough to invest in new vehicles, we know that a growing percentage of them will be EVs, many manufactured here. (more after the jump).

Continue reading At Witz' End - The Business of Plugging In, Take 2

At Witz' End - The Business of Plugging In, Take 2 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bernard avishaiBernardAvishaibusiness of plugging inBusinessOfPluggingInGary WitzenburgGaryWitzenburginfrastructureFri, 11 Dec 2009 14:55:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End: Notes from "The Business of Plugging In"]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/11/09/at-witz-end-notes-from-the-business-of-plugging-in/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/11/09/at-witz-end-notes-from-the-business-of-plugging-in/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/11/09/at-witz-end-notes-from-the-business-of-plugging-in/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Bright IDEA PHEV at the Business of Plugging In conference - Click above for high-res image gallery


EV business may be booming soon

I dropped by the Center for Automotive Research's (CAR) "The Business of Plugging In" conference in Detroit recently and came away with a collection of quotes and useful information from movers and shakers working to make vehicle electrification happen.

Most reasonable observers understand that electric vehicles will not replace liquid-fueled vehicles in large numbers any time soon due to their three key disadvantages of high battery cost, limited driving range and long recharge times. But everyone sees that they will become an increasingly viable alternative as automakers respond to growing consumer demand and ever-toughening fuel economy standards.

Respected research firm J.D. Power and Associates forecasts that, while 90 percent of U.S. light vehicles sales today are gasoline-powered (most of the other 10 percent are flex-fuels and diesels), the gas-only share will decline to about 80 percent in 2012 and less than 75 percent by 2016. Part of the alternative-energy 25 percent will be 1.5 million gas-electric hybrids (about nine percent of projected total sales), including plug-ins.

Power's good-news predictions: the number of hybrid models available in the U.S. will increase from 22 today to more than 100 by 2015, and the number of "pure" (battery only) EV models will swell from one (the Tesla roadster) to at least 13 by 2012. Bad news for pure EV fans: Power says just 0.5 percent of sales (fewer than 100K units) will be pure EVs by 2015. There's more after the jump.

Continue reading At Witz' End: Notes from "The Business of Plugging In"

At Witz' End: Notes from "The Business of Plugging In" originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anthony earlyAnthonyEarlyat witz endAtWitzEndbusiness of plugging inBusinessOfPluggingInchevy voltChevyVoltenid joffeEnidJoffefeaturedGary WitzenburgGaryWitzenburgj.e. robertsonJ.e.Robertsonkarina morleyKarinaMorleynissanpeter darbeePeterDarbeepevpev 2009Pev2009pgeplug in vehicleplug in vehiclesplug-inplug-in hybridPlug-inHybridPlugInVehiclePlugInVehiclesric fulopRicFulopTony PosawatzTonyPosawatzvoltMon, 09 Nov 2009 11:54:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End - Best of the Rest from the Center for Automotive Research automotive future forum]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/14/at-witz-end-best-of-the-rest-from-the-center-for-automotive-r/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/14/at-witz-end-best-of-the-rest-from-the-center-for-automotive-r/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/14/at-witz-end-best-of-the-rest-from-the-center-for-automotive-r/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I reported last month on Nissan's LEAF EV plans, as presented by Nissan Product Planning VP Larry Dominique at the August Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars (CAR MBS) in Traverse City, MI. Dominique's presentation was one highlight. Others included three speakers from Toyota and two each from Ford and GM that I wanted to share with AutoblogGreen readers. Can't cover everything, but here are interesting excerpts:

New Toyota President Akio Toyoda (oldest son of 1982-1992 president Shoichiro Toyoda and grandson of company founder Kiichiro Toyoda) didn't say much about advanced vehicles or powertrains but did position himself as a car enthusiast and race driver who intends to inject more excitement into his company's future products. He said Toyota would introduce a "fun and affordable sports car" and a (~$200K) Lexus supercar in the next several years.

Toyota Public Policy and Government/Industry Affairs Group VP Josephine "Jo" Cooper said, "It is more important than ever before that Washington and the auto industry work together and be serious about resolving our differences, which can lead to more sensible and effective policies." She added that Toyota "sees a clear path toward commercial introduction of a fuel cell vehicle by 2015" and will introduce a short-range urban commuter EV in 2012.

"In the 1990s," she reminded us, "we launched a retail version of our RAV4 EV to comply with a demonstration program required under California's Zero Emissions Vehicle mandate.... Our experience confirmed that three conditions must be satisfied before a new technology will be accepted by consumers: all technical problems MUST be resolved; the consumer and the market MUST be prepared; and regulatory policy MUST ALIGN with both these conditions.

There's more after the jump.

Continue reading At Witz' End - Best of the Rest from the Center for Automotive Research automotive future forum

At Witz' End - Best of the Rest from the Center for Automotive Research automotive future forum originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bob kruseBobKrusedave mccurdyDaveMccurdygary witzenburgGaryWitzenburgjustin wardJustinWardmike stantonMikeStantonsue cischkeSueCischketom stephensTomStephensMon, 14 Sep 2009 11:56:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End - A sneak peak at the "new GM's" critically important product future]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/17/at-witz-end-a-sneak-peak-at-the-new-gm-s-critically-importa/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/17/at-witz-end-a-sneak-peak-at-the-new-gm-s-critically-importa/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/17/at-witz-end-a-sneak-peak-at-the-new-gm-s-critically-importa/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

It was probably mid-1980, soon after the federal government agreed to guarantee massive loans to financially struggling Chrysler Corp., when then-Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca invited groups of auto media and analysts to its styling center for an off-the-record preview of what was coming two, three, even four years down the road. Most were impressed.

We couldn't write about what we saw that day, but we could report in general terms that, much to our surprise, it looked pretty damn good. That was a very crafty move that probably altered outside perceptions - mostly by word of mouth - enough to help the company survive to launch those appealing new products and pay off those loans seven years early.

A couple years later, Ford was on the ropes thanks to woefully bad product quality and styling. Then-new Ford Chairman Don Petersen sat down next to me at a table full of auto writers wolfing down box lunches during the company's summer Dearborn Proving Ground "long-lead" press preview. Between bites of his sandwich, he opened his brief case, pulled out a handful of photos and surreptitiously showed them to me. They were styling models of the next-generation Thunderbird (which looked terrific) and Mercury Cougar (less so, but distinctive) and a pair of smooth, nicely proportioned compacts that would launch two years later as the Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz.

The following summer, Ford Design PR leaders pulled some of us aside, one by one, took us into a design studio and showed us models of what would become the first-generation Taurus and Sable sedans and wagons that would save the company's bacon more than two years later. Again, we were on our honor not to report what we had seen. Again, the object was to subtly improve outside perceptions and expectations.

Fast-forward to Aug. 11, 2009, one month and a day after the "new General Motors" emerged from Chap. 11 bankruptcy. As you've heard, GM invited a substantial number of auto media and analysts to its Warren, Mich. Tech Center to open its kimono and show off pretty much everything it has coming in the next few years. Find out what was revealed after the jump.

Gallery: 2010 Chevy Volt - Final Production Design




Continue reading At Witz' End - A sneak peak at the "new GM's" critically important product future

At Witz' End - A sneak peak at the "new GM's" critically important product future originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>falsefeaturedfuture of gmFutureOfGmgary witzenburgGaryWitzenburggeneral motorsGeneralMotorsgmgm futureGmFuturenew gmNewGmold gmOldGmMon, 17 Aug 2009 19:55:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End: Turning over a new (Nissan) LEAF]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/14/at-witz-end-turning-over-a-new-nissan-leaf/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/14/at-witz-end-turning-over-a-new-nissan-leaf/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/14/at-witz-end-turning-over-a-new-nissan-leaf/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Had lunch the other day with Nissan North America Product Planning Vice President Larry Dominique. He is the point man for communicating Nissan's green-vehicle vision, beginning with its soon-to-come LEAF battery electric car. A few minutes earlier, he had presented exactly that to a large roomful of automaker and supplier representatives, industry analysts, consultants and media.

The occasion was the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) Management Briefing Seminars, an important industry conference that has been a 44-year annual tradition. He and Nissan Midwest PR manager Brian Brockman had invited a small group of journalists to join them for lunch so we could ask burning questions about the car and the plan. Which we did. Find out what the answers were after the jump.



Continue reading At Witz' End: Turning over a new (Nissan) LEAF

At Witz' End: Turning over a new (Nissan) LEAF originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>falsefeaturedgary witzenburgGaryWitzenburgleafleaf electric carleaf evLeafElectricCarLeafEvnissan electricnissan electric carnissan electric carsnissan electric vehiclenissan evnissan leafNissanElectricNissanElectricCarNissanElectricCarsNissanElectricVehicleNissanEvNissanLeafFri, 14 Aug 2009 12:01:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End - scoping out magazine coverage of electric vehicles]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/07/24/at-witz-end-scoping-out-magazine-coverage-of-electric-vehicle/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/07/24/at-witz-end-scoping-out-magazine-coverage-of-electric-vehicle/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/07/24/at-witz-end-scoping-out-magazine-coverage-of-electric-vehicle/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



With so much information (and disinformation) available on the Web, does anyone read magazines any more? Most are struggling to retain both readers and advertisers, and many are going upside down.

In the specialized area of auto magazines, there are still plenty of good examples in many flavors, led by the quartet of major monthlies I've been reading most of my life: Motor Trend, Car and Driver, Road & Track and (relative newcomer) Automobile. While there is no shortage of excellent journalism - and, unfortunately, some not so good example - on today's better car blogs and websites, I believe that the editors, staffers and contributors to these informative and entertaining books (many of whom I count among my friends) are, as a group, the most talented and knowledgeable auto writers in the business.

I have written for all four in the past and still enjoy reading them, mostly on airplanes. One excellent reason is the depth and breadth of coverage they offer of the automotive universe and its most interesting people and products, including electrically-powered ones. After the jump, we take a look at what the paper mags are saying about our eco-friendly favorites.

Continue reading At Witz' End - scoping out magazine coverage of electric vehicles

At Witz' End - scoping out magazine coverage of electric vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>electric carelectric carselectric vehicleelectric vehiclesElectricCarElectricCarsElectricVehicleElectricVehiclesevshybridsFri, 24 Jul 2009 11:46:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End - Range Anxiety Q&A II]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/04/at-witz-end-range-anxiety-qanda-ii/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/04/at-witz-end-range-anxiety-qanda-ii/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/04/at-witz-end-range-anxiety-qanda-ii/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I really stepped in it last time by stating that GM never owned patent rights to Ovonic's NiMH batteries and never sold them to an oil company, and that no one sued Toyota. I believed those statements to be true at the time, but several of you straightened me out.

However, since that complex issue has little to do with range anxiety, I'll come back to it at the end. Meanwhile, I wanted to address more of your comments and responses before moving on to new topics in future essays. Here goes:

EV1 was a low-volume vehicle made of a bunch of low-volume parts with little shared with GM's other products and released on a limited-availability basis. I have no problem with GM portraying it as a testbed, an excellent testbed at that, but to use the defense that GM was trying to make it succeed in the marketplace is just plain silly. - meme

To make the assumption that GM's BEV program was about only EV1 is silly. It was the pioneer vehicle on which the technology was developed. We hoped it would have more takers but never kidded ourselves that an expensive two-seater with very limited range would sell in big numbers or ultimately turn a profit. What should have been profitable long term, if only the enabling (lithium-polymer) battery had arrived as planned, were more practical and affordable follow-on BEVs, plus selling the technology to other automakers.

(more after the jump)

Continue reading At Witz' End - Range Anxiety Q&A II

At Witz' End - Range Anxiety Q&A II originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>at witz endAtWitzEndelectric carsElectricCarsev1range anxietyRangeAnxietyThu, 04 Jun 2009 12:13:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End - Range Anxiety Q&A]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/05/04/at-witz-end-range-anxiety-qanda/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/05/04/at-witz-end-range-anxiety-qanda/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/05/04/at-witz-end-range-anxiety-qanda/#commentsFiled under: , ,

There was a lot of feedback (50 comments at last count) to my column on EV range anxiety, some thoughtful and intelligent, some not. The few who accuse me of being anti-electric vehicles, which I definitely am not, were not. Neither were the two (same guys each time) touting the idiotic conspiracy theory that GM sold its Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery patents to an oil company (Chevron? Exxon?), and then that evil oil company sued Toyota to prevent it from using NiMH batteries to keep them off the market because they might "threaten their oil business." Jeeesh!

On the first count, I LOVE the smooth, silent, seamless, torquey, petroleum-free performance of a good EV. Yet I'm not ready to own one because the vehicles available are still too expensive, too primitive and/or too range-limited to offer a practical, affordable ICE alternative. I devoted nine years of my working life to testing and developing what became GM's EV1 (and other advanced vehicles) in hopes of helping to move that technology to where it could for most people. Hasn't happened yet, but I know a host of folks are working hard on it today.

On the second charge...who makes up such BS? The battery technology that GM offered as an extra-cost option in '99-model EV1s was one of many significant breakthroughs of genius inventor Stan Ovshinsky, who pioneered Ovonic amorphous solar cells in the 1970s and founded Ovonic Battery Company in 1982 to pursue commercial uses for NiHM batteries, most notably to power longer-range (vs. lead-acid) electric vehicles. Ovonic was a supplier to GM. GM never owned patent rights to its batteries. No one ever sold them to an oil company. And no one sued Toyota. (Column continues after the jump).

Continue reading At Witz' End - Range Anxiety Q&A

At Witz' End - Range Anxiety Q&A originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 04 May 2009 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>batteriesbatteryelectric carelectric carselectric vehicleelectric vehiclesElectricCarElectricCarsElectricVehicleElectricVehicleslithium ionlithium ion batteriesLithiumIonLithiumIonBatteriesrange anxietyRangeAnxietyMon, 04 May 2009 14:54:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End: My night with range anxiety]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/04/01/at-witz-end-my-night-with-range-anxiety/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/04/01/at-witz-end-my-night-with-range-anxiety/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/04/01/at-witz-end-my-night-with-range-anxiety/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I left the dinner meeting around 9:00, with home roughly 60 miles away...no challenge for an engine-powered vehicle, even relatively low on fuel. You can always find an open station.

Not so on this 1997 night. I was driving an EV1 development vehicle freshly equipped with an experimental nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery pack. We were developing NiMH - which was promising double the usable energy of our '97 advanced lead-acid (PbA) packs in about the same (nearly 1200-lb.) package - for the '99 model year.

As GM Advanced Technology Vehicles' test and development manager at the time, I routinely drove PbA EV1s home and back, re-charging overnight, during the summer. My 60-mile mid-Michigan commute was easily doable in warm, but not cold, temperatures.

When the mercury sank, so did range, due partly to reduced PbA performance but mostly to lost vehicle efficiency. Our 50-psi Michelin low-rolling-resistance tires became just average at low ambient temperatures. Cool seals, bearings and lubricants have more friction. The air flowing over and around our 0.19-Cd electric bullet got thicker and more viscous as temperatures fell. Then there are accessory loads: lights, heater and (in wet weather) wipers.

But this was a hot, dry summer night, my NiMH pack should have been good for 120 miles, and my after-work meeting was only 30 miles from work. Should have been a piece of cake to get home afterward, even with lights on at 70-80-mph freeway speeds. But it wasn't. (post continues after the jump)

Continue reading At Witz' End: My night with range anxiety

At Witz' End: My night with range anxiety originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chevy voltChevyVoltelectric carelectric carselectric vehicleelectric vehiclesElectricCarElectricCarsElectricVehicleElectricVehiclesev1featuredrange anxietyRangeAnxietyvoltWed, 01 Apr 2009 12:02:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End: Detroit Auto Show: Reality Check - Part II]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/03/03/at-witz-end-detroit-auto-show-reality-check-part-ii/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/03/03/at-witz-end-detroit-auto-show-reality-check-part-ii/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/03/03/at-witz-end-detroit-auto-show-reality-check-part-ii/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

In my first column reality checking the Detroit Auto Show, some of you questioned my assertion that even Toyota's relatively high-volume hybrids are probably not profitable. Of course, Toyota has lowered the costs of its Hybrid Synergy Drive components over many years and hundreds of thousands of units. But I believe they're still too high for any Toyota Hybrid - even the Prius or the soon-to-come higher-priced Lexus HS 250h - to turn a profit.

I can't prove it - Toyota is not about to share its cost numbers with me or anyone else - but that's my opinion, and these are "opinion" columns. Yours may differ, and yours may be right. But I'll bet no one outside of Toyota knows for sure.

What most folks outside the industry don't see or comprehend are the enormous costs of designing, testing, developing and validating every one of the thousands of parts and pieces that go into every modern vehicle. Beyond the mostly expensive and relatively low-volume hybrid system components themselves are all the Prius' specific body, chassis, electrical and comfort and convenience parts and pieces, few of which are shared with other vehicles. The addition of the new Lexus HS 250h on the same architecture will help by raising the volumes of parts that are shared, but I doubt whether even that will turn a profit at its higher prices but much lower volumes.

Am I suggesting that Toyota is fibbing by claiming that Prius is profitable? It depends on how they calculate their costs. If they add up the costs of all those parts and pieces - including the still very expensive battery, EVT transmission, motors, wiring, control systems and more - and toss in the relatively minor cost of assembly, the total may indeed be less than the Prius' average selling price. But they would have to discount all those years and huge costs of design, testing, development and validation, which must be spread out ("amortized") over hundreds of thousands, even millions, of units. Their business plan has depended on long-term profitability from growing sales of higher-priced luxury hybrids and sales of the Synergy drive system to other OEMs, neither of which has fared as well as hoped.

What I don't understand is why Prius' profitability seems so important to some ABG readers. If each unit sold does make a buck, bully for them. If not, so what? Toyota's whole hybrid program is still a hugely profitable investment as one of the best-ever image-building efforts any automaker has ever carried out. Whatever they have spent on it through the years is worth far more than any amount of paid advertising they could have bought for similar money. What should be important to potential owners is whether any EV's or HEV's selling price is worth the long-term gas savings it offers, whatever its cost to its manufacturer.

That said, let's reality check some other electrically-powered vehicles showcased at this year's Detroit North American International Auto Show. Follow us after the jump.

Continue reading At Witz' End: Detroit Auto Show: Reality Check - Part II

At Witz' End: Detroit Auto Show: Reality Check - Part II originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apterabluezerobmw hybridBmwHybridbyddetroitdetroit 2009detroit auto showDetroit2009DetroitAutoShowfeaturedfiskersmart edSmartEdTue, 03 Mar 2009 11:53:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End: Detroit Auto Show: Reality Check - Part I]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/02/03/at-witz-end-detroit-auto-show-reality-check-part-i/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/02/03/at-witz-end-detroit-auto-show-reality-check-part-i/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/02/03/at-witz-end-detroit-auto-show-reality-check-part-i/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

This year's Detroit North American International Auto Show (aka NAIAS) was easily the greenest ever, greener even than the evergreen Los Angeles show two months earlier. Several automakers (most notably Nissan) were missing due to the weak economy, while others (Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz) were present but silent with no press conferences. That left room for the likes of Tesla, Fisker and a pair of Chinese makers to set up shop on the main floor and hype the media on their grand plans.

While a number of high-powered gas- and diesel-burning machines (mostly from Europe) shared the NAIAS spotlight, nearly everyone there showed current and future EVs and gas-electric hybrids (HEVs). Among these, which will actually happen; which might sell in serious numbers; which (if any) will succeed to the point of being profitable for their makers?

Let us speculate (after the jump).

Continue reading At Witz' End: Detroit Auto Show: Reality Check - Part I

At Witz' End: Detroit Auto Show: Reality Check - Part I originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>detroitdetroit 2009detroit auto showDetroit2009DetroitAutoShowfeaturedTue, 03 Feb 2009 12:02:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End: Other Views on Detroit]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/01/01/at-witz-end-other-views-on-detroit/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/01/01/at-witz-end-other-views-on-detroit/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/01/01/at-witz-end-other-views-on-detroit/#commentsFiled under: , ,

"I hope GM goes bankrupt," said the young California man in the Japanese restaurant. Really? Why? "Because I hate the UAW," he responded, ignorantly equating America's largest automaker to its most powerful union.

I guess, like so many Americans, he was unaware, or didn't care, that hundreds of thousands of good, smart, incredibly dedicated and hard-working non-union designers, engineers, researchers, marketers, purchasing, finance and human resources folks also owe their livelihoods to what's left of our domestic industry. And that millions more who are toiling at suppliers, dealers and surrounding small businesses depend on it to feed, clothe and shelter their kids.

The Big Three companies are not all the same, none today remotely resembles the negative caricatures in some peoples' minds, and the UAW has been only one small part of their high-US-business-cost problem. Clearly, such pinheads whose views of "Detroit" remain stubbornly stuck in the 1980s - including auto-ignorant politicians, Wall Street gurus and non-automotive media - need to pry open their minds to what knowledgeable observers are saying:

"GM is probably the strongest of the three right now," manufacturing expert Ron Harbour ("The Harbour Report"), told me nearly two years ago, well before 2008's $4 gas killed profitable products and Washington's economic meltdown and the credit freeze stopped auto sales virtually cold. "They really get it and have made very significant improvement. Ford has done pretty well. They're right in there. And Chrysler has worked hard to catch up fast."

Click past the jump for a sampling of what leading automotive media and others who actually know these companies, their leaders and their products are saying today.

Continue reading At Witz' End: Other Views on Detroit

At Witz' End: Other Views on Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto industryAutoIndustrybailoutdetroitfeaturedgary witzenburgGaryWitzenburgThu, 01 Jan 2009 19:50:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End: What Auto CEOs Should Have Said]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/01/at-witz-end-what-auto-ceos-should-have-said/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/01/at-witz-end-what-auto-ceos-should-have-said/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/01/at-witz-end-what-auto-ceos-should-have-said/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Shouldn't those auto/government hearings have been reversed?

Did it occur to anyone else that those oh-so-painful auto CEO/government hearings should have been the other way around?

Instead of the heads of America's three remaining automakers groveling, begging and enduring live public floggings trying to sell their case for government loans to get them past the global economic crisis and credit freeze that government greed, corruption and incompetence has created, shouldn't they have been vein-popping outraged and angry? Shouldn't they have pointed accusatory fingers at that sorry collection of arrogant, auto-ignorant Senators and Congressmen who got them into this mess and demanded their assistance?

Shouldn't they have looked those pompous public-trough pinheads straight in the face and demanded to know why investment firms, banks and big insurance get hundreds of billions of taxpayer bailout dollars no questions asked while what's left of America's once-mighty manufacturing muscle begs for loans totaling 1/28 of that initial $700 billion Wall Street bailout? Where were the public humiliation hearings and newly viable business plans for those guys?

(post continues after the jump)

Continue reading At Witz' End: What Auto CEOs Should Have Said

At Witz' End: What Auto CEOs Should Have Said originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto execauto execsAutoExecAutoExecsceosfeaturedhearingsMon, 01 Dec 2008 12:01:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End: GM EV1 - The Real Story, Q&A III]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/11/04/at-witz-end-gm-ev1-the-real-story-qanda-iii/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/11/04/at-witz-end-gm-ev1-the-real-story-qanda-iii/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/11/04/at-witz-end-gm-ev1-the-real-story-qanda-iii/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Editor's Note: If you missed Gary's previous articles on the history of GM's EV1, please start here. This post is the third of three posts where he answers reader questions that the EV1 series raised. Part I is here and Part II is here. Once again, questions may have been edited for space.

Honest answers to more probing questions.

You brush off the important facts that led many people to believe in a conspiracy theory. For example, you say, 'For whatever reason...only 500 EV1's were built.' What is the reason? As you mentioned, the EV1 wasn't marketed or meant to be the only car a family/individual would have, so 130-140 miles of range is PLENTY if the car is a COMMUTER car. -- cazancoz

The reason should be crystal clear. We built about 1,000 EV1s over two model years, and Saturn dealers in five CA and AZ cities managed to lease just 80 percent of them. Contrary to what some believe, you can't market/advertise your way to healthy sales of something most people simply don't want -- even with the higher-energy optional '99-model NiMH battery that could stretch the range to more than 100 miles. Like you, we thought that would be enough for a commuter car in a time of $1.40 gas. Like you, we were wrong.

Yeah, right! GM really wanted the EV1 to be a success. That's why lessees had to be able to comply with a long list of conditions BEFORE they were allowed to lease an EV1, like you had to have a garage and park your car in it every night. It was exceedingly difficult to lease an EV1. The process and delays put many people off. Rules that were applied to an EV1 were NEVER applied to any other GM car. -- Randy C.

The answer, and more, after the jump.

Continue reading At Witz' End: GM EV1 - The Real Story, Q&A III

At Witz' End: GM EV1 - The Real Story, Q&A III originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ev1gary-witzenburggmTue, 04 Nov 2008 18:36:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End: GM EV1 - The Real Story, Q&A II]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/11/03/at-witz-end-gm-ev1-the-real-story-qand-a-ii/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/11/03/at-witz-end-gm-ev1-the-real-story-qand-a-ii/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/11/03/at-witz-end-gm-ev1-the-real-story-qand-a-ii/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Editor's Note: If you missed Gary's previous articles on the history of GM's EV1, please start here. This post is the second of three posts where he answers reader questions that the EV1 series raised. Part I is here and Part III will run tomorrow. Gary's promised to move on to current and relevant topics after we finish with Part III. Once again, questions may have been edited for space. To read the full questions and see the discussion threads they were a part of, click on the questioner's name.

Honest answers to more of your probing questions.

Please mention the RAV4 EV, acknowledge its existence! What did Toyota do that was so much better than the miserable EV1 failure when designing their RAV4 EV on an existing drivetrain? Are the ones still being driven every day a giant fluke? Let's get some serious discussion going instead of earning those GM dollars. I understand they're paying for ad-space and subsidizing your "professional opinion." The only thing Toyota did differently was not crush all their electric cars, 'cause they knew they weren't bad cars. Now those very cars are disputing every "fact" you try to fool readers with as an "unbiased" journalist. - Matt Lenart

Let's have an agreement, Matt: I won't insult your intelligence, you don't question my integrity. I have been telling the true EV1 story as I lived and observed it. Is Toyota paying you?

Regarding those RAV4 EVs, here are the facts straight from Toyota Safety and Quality Communications Manager Brian Lyons: They built and marketed 1,485 of them between 1998 and 2003 -- 80 percent leased to commercial fleets and 20 percent (about 300) sold, all in California. All the early 1998 and '99 models have been "retired," while 95 percent of the 811 still in service are '02 and '03 models with longer-range NiMH packs. Of those, 434 are in fleet operations (utilities, etc...), 104 are in public-service, philanthropic and TMS (Toyota Motor Sales) operations and just 273 are privately owned.

Lyons says their range when new was 80-100 miles, and "many" - depending on usage, environment, and charge/discharge cycles - still achieve 95 percent of their initial performance with their original battery packs. Their drive motor is a 50kW (67 hp) unit good for 140 lb-ft of torque, and their packs are 24 sealed NiMH batteries totaling 288 volts. Service support is "the same as for all Toyota vehicles, with specialists available for difficult cases." The retired vehicles "had all the viable/critical/unique parts removed and are warehoused by [an unnamed] company contracted by Toyota," which also stores and maintains the recovered battery packs.

This post continues after the jump.

Continue reading At Witz' End: GM EV1 - The Real Story, Q&A II

At Witz' End: GM EV1 - The Real Story, Q&A II originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ev1ev1-gmev1-leasegary-witzenburggmgm ev1GmEv1Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:18:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End: GM EV1 - The Real Story, Q&A]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/09/30/at-witz-end-gm-ev1-the-real-story-qanda/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/09/30/at-witz-end-gm-ev1-the-real-story-qanda/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/09/30/at-witz-end-gm-ev1-the-real-story-qanda/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

People are most critical of the things they least understand. - Paul W. Spoor, Bits & Pieces, September 2008.

Why is it so important to some to cast GM as a villain? To believe that the only reason we don't have affordable, practical pure-electric vehicles today is that GM doesn't want us to?

Why is it so difficult to believe that General Motors is not the same sadly mismanaged company it was in the 1970s and '80s? That it's a completely different enterprise run by completely different leaders with completely different values and priorities?

Why so difficult to accept that if GM - or anyone else - could make a buck building and selling the EVs of your dreams, they would be thrilled to do so? And will the minute they can?

As GM (and others) have learned from past, very expensive failed attempts, volume road-worthy EVs require a huge financial investment, and risk. But whoever gets there first with practical, affordable ones will make a killing. Why would any automaker not want to?

And why accuse me of lying or spinning, as some will, for explaining and defending - based on my knowledge and experience - GM, Ford, Chrysler, anyone else who deserves it?

I worked for GM two different times, the first (1965-'73) when it led the global industry and was as proud and arrogant as the day was long. The second (1987-'02) when it teetered on the brink of bankruptcy, learned humility and appointed different kinds of leaders to fix it. In between, as a widely published auto writer, I was as harsh a critic as anyone. I hammered GM's leadership and its products relentlessly, because both were shamefully bad.
But that began to change when Bob Stempel replaced Roger Smith as CEO in 1989 and gained momentum in 1992 when new CEO Jack Smith (no relation to Roger) effectively started to right the still-sinking ship. It's been rough and rocky sailing since, but - contrary to what many believe - GM leadership under current CEO Rick Wagoner has been outstanding.

Like other U.S. makers, they still can't make a living in North America due to high costs, our business-unfriendly government and other conditions beyond their control. But there have been no bad new GM products this decade, and most are world-class competitive, or better. As an employee, I had no great love for GM. As a journalist (again), I'm professionally neutral and objective. But as a former insider, I gained perspective on GM and the industry as a whole that no one who hasn't been there could understand. Also enormous appreciation for the smart, talented, dedicated, hard-working individuals who toil there 10-14 hours every day.

That said, I've responded to some of your questions about my previous columns after the jump.

Continue reading At Witz' End: GM EV1 - The Real Story, Q&A

At Witz' End: GM EV1 - The Real Story, Q&A originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>at-witz-endev1gary-witzenburggeneral-motorsgmqaTue, 30 Sep 2008 13:26:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End: GM EV1 - The Real Story, Part IV]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/09/15/at-witz-end-gm-ev1-the-real-story-part-iv/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/09/15/at-witz-end-gm-ev1-the-real-story-part-iv/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/09/15/at-witz-end-gm-ev1-the-real-story-part-iv/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

NOTE: If you missed them, please start by reading parts one, two and three in Gary's EV1 series.

What was learned, and is being applied today

"As has been stated in comments [to the] previous two posts by Mr. Witzenburg, there are several things which just don't add up, and make him look like a half-wit." - ABG reader Virgil.

Despite your gratuitous insult, Virgil, you raise a couple good points in your comment ... and one not so good. You wrote:

"First, aerodynamics. Anyone who's ever been in a canoe knows that a 17-ft canoe is faster than a 14-ft canoe. They're the same width, same frontal area, but the longer boat allows a more shallow angle of attack and tail-off, so is more hydrodynamic. Making a longer EV1 would improve aerodynamic performance, not decrease."

Really? Based on intuition, without data, I would tend to agree. But vehicle aerodynamic behavior on a solid surface is not always intuitive. Our body engineers said their aero analysis showed a meaningful increase in drag from a longer (and flatter) four-seat body vs. a shorter, teardrop-shaped two-passenger one. I'm no expert, but given that no other practical production vehicle has come close to EV1's astounding 0.19 Cd, I have no reason to disbelieve them.

Read more after the break.

Continue reading At Witz' End: GM EV1 - The Real Story, Part IV

At Witz' End: GM EV1 - The Real Story, Part IV originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>at-witz-endbattery-powered-carsbattery-powered-vehiclesbevev1gary-witzenburggm-ev1hybridplug-inMon, 15 Sep 2008 12:36:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End: GM EV1 - The Real Story, Part III]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/09/05/at-witz-end-gm-ev1-the-real-story-part-iii/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/09/05/at-witz-end-gm-ev1-the-real-story-part-iii/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/09/05/at-witz-end-gm-ev1-the-real-story-part-iii/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

NOTE: If you missed them, you can read parts one and two.

High tech development, market launch and retreat

Because its 1,175-pound pack of 27 advanced lead-acid (PbA) batteries - 26 propulsion, one for accessories - held a mere half-gallon of gasoline-equivalent energy, the production EV1 would have to be an incredibly efficient teardrop-shaped two-seater to achieve even barely acceptable range. Stretching it to accommodate four passengers would have reduced its already very modest range some 25 percent due to added weight and aero drag.

"The fundamental variables are mass, aerodynamics, rolling resistance, accessory loads and driveline efficiency," says Bob Purcell, who was our Advanced Technology Vehicles (ATV) Div. Executive Director. "So the exercise was to ensure that we would meet all customer requirements using the least possible energy in each of those areas."

Continue reading after the jump.

Continue reading At Witz' End: GM EV1 - The Real Story, Part III

At Witz' End: GM EV1 - The Real Story, Part III originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>electric-carelectric-carselectric-vehicleelectric-vehiclesev1ev1-gmev1-historyev1-leaseev1-salesgary-witzenburggmgm-electric-cargm-ev1Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:17:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz' End - EV1 - The Real Story, Part II]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/08/21/at-witz-end-ev1-the-real-story-part-ii/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/08/21/at-witz-end-ev1-the-real-story-part-ii/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/08/21/at-witz-end-ev1-the-real-story-part-ii/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Note: read part one of this story here.

Pause and rebirth

I joined the GM EV effort in April, 1991 and began pulling together a small team of test and development engineers and technicians at GM's Proving Grounds near Milford, MI.

One vivid early memory was driving the Impact concept car down a long, steep Proving Grounds hill early one August morning on the way to demonstrate it to a meeting of GM's Board of Directors. There was a sweeping curve near the bottom of this hill that I routinely drove nearly every day on my way to test tracks.

Suddenly, as I sped downhill toward that curve, I remembered that the Impact rolled on skinny, low-rolling-resistance experimental tires, and had almost no brakes. Visions of an expensive career-ending crash flashed through my head. Then I remembered that I could dial up "coast-down" regenerative braking with a rheostat knob between the seats, and that slowed the slippery little bullet enough to make the turn. Whew!

The pause
Sixteen months of hard work later -- on Pearl Harbor Day, Dec. 7, 1992 -- our fearless leader, Ken Baker, had to tell our Lansing, Mich. Craft Centre plant team, who were preparing to build our breakthrough electric vehicle, that the program had been delayed. Then he had to deliver that same emotional message to his engineers at GM's Warren, MI Technical Center.

The story continues after the jump.

Continue reading At Witz' End - EV1 - The Real Story, Part II

At Witz' End - EV1 - The Real Story, Part II originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ev1gary-witzenburggm-ev1gm-impactThu, 21 Aug 2008 12:42:00 EST<![CDATA[At Witz End - GM's EV1, the True Story, part I]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/08/15/at-witz-end-gms-ev1-the-true-story-part-i/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/08/15/at-witz-end-gms-ev1-the-true-story-part-i/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/08/15/at-witz-end-gms-ev1-the-true-story-part-i/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Triumph of technology set the stage for the future

  • Our gift is a world of opportunity. To leave it a better place than we found it is our greatest gift to the next generation. - Ken Baker, GM Electric Vehicles
  • "Since when does being an auto engineer makes you smarter than scientists specializing in the field?" - ABG reader John, on my 8/3/08 column, "Global Warming Pro." (Yes, "Pro")
Well, John, maybe not smarter, but maybe educated enough to have a valid opinion.

Engineers become engineers because - like people who become scientists - we are good at math and science, including physics, chemistry and biology. We study the same things eventual scientists do, then branch out into specialties. Some choose geology or climatology. I chose automotive engineering because I love cars and wanted to help make them better.

As technically trained people, engineers have a good understanding of what makes things work, how elements interact and what is physically possible...and not. We know that vehicle fuel economy is mostly about size, weight and aerodynamics. We know that technology can incrementally improve efficiency, but also that technology costs money. To redirect an old racing adage, how efficient can you afford to be?

Unlike typical non-technically trained people - including most government bureaucrats, lawyers, legislators and journalists - we form opinions and make decisions based on facts and data, not emotion and opinion. We have long-established BS alarms that go off when someone tries to tell us that something we know is physically impossible is not. We know there is no 100-mpg carburetor or 40-mpg SUV (If either was possible, why wouldn't someone be making a fortune building and selling them and blowing away all their less-enlightened competition?).
That said, let me tell you about the most exciting, challenging and inspiring engineering assignment I've ever had: Vehicle Test and Development Manager for what became the GM EV1. I know the real story behind General Motors' 1990s electric vehicle effort very well; I was there, working my proverbial tail off on it, and you can start reading this tale after the jump. A warning, though: those who harbor strong negative perceptions about EV1 and GM's intent for it - from that recent ill-informed crockumentary or some other non-knowledgeable source - may not want to read this, because the real true story will not reinforce what you already think you know.

Continue reading At Witz End - GM's EV1, the True Story, part I

At Witz End - GM's EV1, the True Story, part I originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bob-schultzchevetteelectrovetteev1ev1-gmgary-witzenburggm-ev1ken-bakerroger-smithFri, 15 Aug 2008 10:51:00 EST